Skip to main content
Glite Dictionary
🐦 A colorful songbird 🐦 A yellow songbird
wood warbler

wood warbler

1 8.4
A small bright North American bird that sings a weak simple song
  • noun
  • /wʊd ˈwɔːrblər/
  • US
translation icon : curruca de los bosques
  • Look! A wood warbler just flew by!

Examples

  • Many birdwatchers travel to forests hoping to hear the elusive song of the wood warbler.

  • The bright feathers of the wood warbler make it easy to spot during spring migration.

  • Despite its colorful appearance, the wood warbler has a surprisingly weak and simple song.

  • I saw a wood warbler today.

  • The wood warbler flitted among the branches, its vivid colors catching the sunlight.

  • During spring migration, birdwatchers often spot a wood warbler in the forest.

  • The soft, unmusical song of the wood warbler is easily overlooked in the vibrant woodland atmosphere.

Synonyms

warbler
vswood warbler
8 5.2

A small active bird that sings many clear notes

is the same bird type but noted for a weak unmusical song
New World warbler
vswood warbler
  • US
8.5

A small brightly colored American songbird with a weak song

has identical meaning and refers to the same birds

Surface Forms

wood warbler singular
wood warblers plural

Morphology

wood + warbler

The meaning 'a small woodland songbird' is directly and transparently derived from combining 'wood' (wooded area) with 'warbler' (a small songbird); the compound signals a warbler associated with woods. This compositional noun-compound pattern is common and cross-linguistically familiar, so a B1 learner who knows the constituents will readily infer the meaning.

Etymology

Wood warbler comes from wood (the bird's home in the forest) and warbler (a bird that 'sings'). The name gives a clear image of a small singing bird in the woods, even though this American type often has a quiet, simple song.