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Glite Dictionary
song thrush

song thrush

4.5
A small brown bird that sings short repeated songs
  • noun
  • UK
translation icon : zorzal común
  • Many gardeners welcome the song thrush because it eats harmful snails and insects.

Examples

  • The song thrush sang beautifully in the early morning.

  • The song thrush is easily recognized by the repeated phrases in its beautiful song.

  • A song thrush was perched on the branch, singing early in the morning.

  • Have you ever heard a song thrush in the wild?

  • The song thrush is often heard singing in the early morning, filling the air with its beautiful melodies.

  • During spring, the song thrush can be spotted in gardens, where it sings to attract a mate.

  • We recognized the distinct call of the song thrush as we walked through the forest, its tune echoing among the trees.

Synonyms

mavis
vssong thrush
  • Archaic
9 9.9

A small brown bird that sings a clear repeating song

is the standard descriptive name used in general texts rather than informal naming
throstle
vssong thrush
  • Archaic
1 9.9

A small brown bird with spots on its chest that sings beautifully

is the more modern widely used name rather than this older common name
Turdus philomelos
vssong thrush
  • Specialized
9.1

A small brown bird with a spotted chest that sings beautiful songs

is the everyday common name used in normal conversation and writing

Surface Forms

song thrush singular
song thrushes plural

Morphology

song + thrush

The meaning is directly compositional: 'song' + 'thrush' denotes a thrush characterized by its song, so a learner who knows both words can infer it is a thrush that sings melodiously. This type of noun-noun compound is cross-linguistically common (cf. 'songbird' equivalents) and follows ordinary English naming patterns, making it immediately understandable to a B1 learner.

Etymology

Song thrush: The name song thrush comes from the bird's habit of repeating short, clear tunes, so people joined song and thrush because it 'sings beautifully'. That's why the name means a thrush 'known for its clear, repeated song'.