water ouzel
- noun
- /ˈwɔːtər ˈaʊzəl/
:
mirlo acuático
- The water ouzel dives into the stream to catch fish that swim near the surface.
Examples
-
During my hike, I spotted a water ouzel perched on a rock, ready to plunge into the water.
-
Dippers, or water ouzels, are short-tailed, dark gray birds that live along stream edges year-round.
Academic text (1991) -
As I watched, the water ouzel elegantly bobbed up and down while searching for food underwater.
Synonyms
A small strong bird that lives by fast streams and dives for insects
A small bird that lives by streams and dives underwater to catch insects
A small bird with a white throat that lives by rivers and dives for insects
A bird like a blackbird or dipper that lives in Europe and Asia
Surface Forms
Morphology
The compound combines 'water' (a body of water) with 'ouzel' (a bird), so the meaning 'a bird associated with water/streams' is directly derivable from the constituents. Noun+noun compounding with a locative modifier is a common, transparent pattern in English and other languages, so a B1 learner who knows both words would readily infer the intended animal.
Etymology
Water ouzel may come from the old word ouzel, which meant 'blackbird' or 'thrush'. Put together with water, it gives a simple picture: a small dark bird that lives by streams and dives into the water, so the name came to mean the diving bird called a 'dipper'.
