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Glite Dictionary
house sparrow

house sparrow

1 3.1
A small brown and grey bird that lives near people
  • noun
  • /haʊs ˈspɛroʊ/
translation icon : gorrión común
  • Nobody looks at it much anymore, but the house sparrow... it doesn't migrate, it stays in it's neighborhood and eats at the local restaurant.

Examples

  • A pair of house sparrows built their nest in a corner of the old eaves.

  • Also, fewer juncos, fewer chickadees, fewer everything, really, except house sparrows.

    Fiction book (1993)

  • NatureMappers may begin with reports of such common species as crows, starlings, and house sparrows.

    Academic text (2001)

  • They're house sparrow eggs.

    6 Months of November (2022)

  • The numbers of rock pigeons are not strongly correlated with those of house sparrows (Passer domesticus) and European starlings (Sturnus vulgaris).

    Academic text (2008)

  • The little house sparrow chirped happily as it perched on the garden fence.

  • She enjoyed watching the house sparrows gather seeds from the bird feeder.

Synonyms

Passer domesticus
vshouse sparrow
  • Specialized
8.1

A small brown and grey bird that lives near people worldwide

is the common everyday name rather than the scientific label
English sparrow
vshouse sparrow
  • US
3.2

A small brown and grey bird that lives near people in towns

is the standard species name rather than a regional common name

Surface Forms

house sparrow singular
house sparrows plural

Morphology

house + sparrow

The meaning 'a sparrow associated with houses or human habitation' is directly derivable from combining 'house' (building for living) with 'sparrow' (a small bird). This compound follows a regular noun + noun modification pattern found across languages, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents will readily infer the intended referent.

Etymology

The name house sparrow comes from the bird's habit of living close to people's homes. The words house and sparrow make a clear picture of a small bird that lives near houses, so the name means a common little bird often found 'near people'.