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Glite Dictionary
honey eater

honey eater

8.8
A bird that uses a long thin beak to drink nectar from flowers
  • noun
  • Australian
translation icon : comedores de néctar
  • Several species of honey eaters are important pollinators in Australian ecosystems.

Examples

  • The honey eater uses its specialized bill to reach deep into flowers for nectar.

  • The honey eater perched on the branch.

  • We spotted a colorful honey eater feeding among the eucalyptus blossoms.

  • Many honey eaters are found in Australia.

  • The honey eater perched on the branch, using its long tongue to extract nectar from the vibrant flowers.

  • In summer, the honey eater visits our garden daily, drawn by the sweet scent of blossoms.

  • As the honey eater fed on the nectar, its vibrant plumage shimmered in the sunlight.

Synonyms

honeysucker
vshoney eater
  • Australian
9.9

A bird from Australia that uses a long tongue and beak to drink nectar from flowers

is the same bird but identified as belonging to a specific bird family
Meliphagidae
vshoney eater
  • Specialized
9.9

A family of small to medium birds that mostly drink nectar and live in Australia and nearby islands

refers to a single species within that family with a slender tongue and bill

Surface Forms

honey eater singular
honey eaters plural

Morphology

honey + eater

The compound is directly analyzable as 'an eater of honey' from 'honey' + 'eater', following a common English noun+eater compounding pattern that is cross-linguistically transparent. Although the term specifically names a family of birds (Meliphagidae), a B1 learner who knows both constituents will readily infer it denotes an animal that eats honey/nectar, so the meaning is compositionally clear.

Etymology

Honey eater may come from the clear picture the name gives: these birds use a thin bill and long tongue to reach and drink the sweet 'nectar' inside flowers. So the name shows them as honey eaters, and today it means a bird that feeds on nectar.