🐦 A European bird 🐦 A North American bird

whitethroat

9.9

A small songbird that lives in Europe and western Asia and has a pale white throat

noun

: curruca común

During spring, we can hear the distinct song of the whitethroat in the hedgerows.

Examples

A whitethroat is often seen flitting between the branches while searching for insects.
The birdwatchers eagerly spotted a whitethroat among the bushes in the nature reserve.
PHOTO (COLOR): A whitethroat has caught a caterpillar.

Academic text (2001)

Synonyms

Sylvia communis

vswhitethroat

Specialized

9.9

A small grey-brown songbird with a white throat found in Europe

is the everyday name for the same small Old World warbler

greater whitethroat

vswhitethroat

9.9

A small brown bird with a white throat that sings in hedges in Europe and western Asia

is the widely used common name for the species

Compounds

lesser whitethroat

9.1

A small brown songbird that lives in Europe and western Asia

greater whitethroat

9.9

A small brown bird with a white throat that sings in hedges in Europe and western Asia

Surface Forms

whitethroat singular

whitethroats plural

Morphology

whitethroat = white + throat (transparent) = white + throat

A literal compound referring to the bird's whitish throat, directly inferable from its components.

Etymology

Whitethroat is made from white and throat, meaning 'white' and 'throat'. It names a small warbler from Europe and western Asia with a whitish throat, so the name tells you how the bird looks.