Skip to main content
Glite Dictionary
tufted titmouse

tufted titmouse

9.2
A small gray songbird with a crest on its head found in eastern North America
  • noun
  • /ˈtʌftɪd ˈtɪtmaʊs/
  • US
translation icon : carbonero de cresta
  • After I finished taking my photographs, I noticed a tufted titmouse watching me from a downed branch.

Examples

  • Many birdwatchers enjoy observing the tufted titmouse as it flits between branches.

  • The tufted titmouse is easily recognizable due to its distinctive gray crest.

  • In winter, the tufted titmouse often joins other birds at feeders to find food.

Synonyms

titmouse
vstufted titmouse
  • US
1 8.8

A small bird with a crest that eats insects

is the specific eastern species rather than the broader family group
Parus bicolor
vstufted titmouse
  • Specialized
9.9

A small gray bird with a crest common in eastern North America

is the scientific Latin name for the same bird

Surface Forms

tufted titmouse singular
tufted titmice plural

Morphology

tufted + titmouse

The compound is directly compositional: 'tufted' means 'having tufts' and 'titmouse' denotes a small songbird, so a learner who knows both constituents can infer it refers to a small bird with a tufted (crested) head. Although it is a species name, the adjective+noun construction is literal and follows common descriptive patterns, making the meaning immediately derivable for a B1 learner.

Etymology

The name tufted titmouse shows a simple picture: tufted means a small bunch of feathers on the head and titmouse was an old word for a 'small songbird'. So, the name points to the bird's look and is why we call that little gray bird a 'tufted titmouse' today.