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Glite Dictionary
firetail

firetail

8.6
A small bird with a bright red tail found in Australia and Asia
  • noun
  • Australian
translation icon : pájaro cola de fuego
  • Birdwatchers often hope to see a firetail when visiting the Australian bush.

Examples

  • Have you ever seen a firetail in the wild?

  • The firetail perched on the branch, singing sweetly.

  • We spotted a colorful firetail perched on a branch during our morning walk.

  • The firetail is easily recognized by its striking red tail feathers.

  • The firetail is easily recognized by its vibrant red tail feathers.

  • During our birdwatching trip, we spotted a firetail perched on a branch.

  • The bright orange tail of the firetail stood out against the green foliage.

Surface Forms

firetail singular
firetails plural

Morphology

firetail = fire + tail (transparent) = fire + tail

The compound is directly interpretable as a bird with a bright, fire-like tail, matching ordinary English compounding logic.

Etymology

Firetail joins fire ('flame') and tail ('rear part') to make a simple name for a small bird with a bright red or orange tail. So, a firetail is easy to remember because its tail looks like a little 'flame'.