weaver finch

8.4

A small African or Asian bird that makes complex nests from grass and twigs and lives in groups

noun

: pinzón tejedor

The weaver finch constructs an intricate nest using blades of grass and twigs.

Examples

Large colonies of weaver finches can often be seen hanging from savanna trees.
Many ornithologists study the weaver finch because of its remarkable nest-building skills.
The weaver finch is known for its beautiful nests.
In Africa, the weaver finch builds intricate nests.
Large colonies of weaver finches can often be seen hanging from savanna trees.
Many ornithologists study the weaver finch because of its remarkable nest-building skills.
The weaver finch constructs an intricate nest using blades of grass and twigs.

Synonyms

weaver

vsweaver finch

1 7.5

A small bird that makes hanging nests from grass and twigs

is specifically a finchlike bird that often nests in colonies

weaverbird

vsweaver finch

Indian

8.8

A small African or Asian bird that builds woven nests in groups

is the broader common name for that same finchlike colonial nest builder

Ploceus

vsweaver finch

Specialized

9.9

A group of weaver birds that build neat woven nests

is the common species-level name for finchlike colonial nest builders

Surface Forms

weaver finch singular

weaver finches plural

Morphology

weaver + finch

The compound meaning is directly built from its parts: 'weaver' denotes a bird that weaves nests and 'finch' denotes a small songbird, so a B1 learner who knows both words can infer a finch that weaves. This is a literal, descriptive compound common across languages and follows normal English noun–noun composition, making the meaning transparent.

Etymology

Weaver finch is named for what the bird does: the word weaver shows how it weaves grass and twigs into its nest, and finch tells you it is a small bird. So, the name means 'a small bird that builds a tightly woven nest', which gives a simple picture to help you remember the bird.