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Glite Dictionary
pine siskin

pine siskin

9.1
A small brown striped bird with some yellow on its wings that often lives near pine trees
  • noun
  • /paɪn ˈsɪskɪn/
  • US
translation icon : siskin de pino
  • What a beautiful pine siskin!

Examples

  • The pine siskin is easily identified by its streaked brown feathers and yellow-edged wings.

  • We spotted a pine siskin in the tall pines behind our cabin.

  • Flocks of pine siskins often visit backyard feeders during the winter months.

  • Look at that pine siskin perched on the branch!

  • While hiking in the forest, we spotted a pine siskin flitting among the branches of a spruce tree.

  • The birdwatchers were excited to see several pine siskins feeding on the seeds in the coniferous forest.

  • As we walked through the woods, the cheerful song of a pine siskin caught our attention.

Synonyms

pine finch
vspine siskin
  • US
9.2

A small finch that lives in pine forests and eats seeds

is the main common name used in field guides and descriptions
Spinus pinus
vspine siskin
  • Specialized
9.9

A small striped finch that lives in pine forests in North America

is the standard common form used in field guides and descriptions

Surface Forms

pine siskin singular
pine siskins plural

Morphology

pine + siskin

The compound is a straightforward noun‑noun modifier: 'pine' (a conifer) + 'siskin' (a small finch) yields a siskin associated with pine trees. This compositional pattern is cross-linguistically common and thus a B1 learner who knows both constituents can readily infer the meaning.

Etymology

Pine siskin may come from where the bird lives and the sound it makes. pine refers to pine trees where the bird is often found, and siskin is an old name for small finches that make a soft 'sis-sis' call, so the name tells you it is a little finch of the pines.