wood pewee
- noun
- /wʊd ˈpiːwi/
- US
:
pewee
- During the warm months, the wood pewee builds its nest using silk and lichen to blend in with the surrounding foliage.
- the eastern wood pewee
Examples
-
In spring, the wood pewee returns to the eastern woodlands, where its soft, whistled call fills the air.
-
The wood pewee is often seen perched quietly on low branches while waiting to catch insects.
-
Photo: The eastern wood pewee of North America uses silk to secure its nest to a branch and to attach lichens to the outside.
Academic text (1994)
Synonyms
2
9.9
A small olive-brown bird that catches insects in trees in eastern North America
A small olive-colored bird that lives in eastern North American woods and catches flying insects
A small olive-green bird in the woods that catches insects and makes a thin sad call
A small olive-green bird that lives in woods and eats insects
Surface Forms
Morphology
The noun–noun compound is fully compositional: 'wood' specifies the habitat and modifies 'pewee' (a small flycatcher), so the meaning 'a pewee that lives in wooded areas' follows directly from the constituents. This is a common, predictable compounding pattern in English (and cross-linguistically), so a B1 learner who knows both words would readily infer the MWE's meaning.
Etymology
Wood pewee gets its name from where it lives and the sound it makes: wood because it lives in the woods, and pewee from the soft call that sounds like 'pee-a-wee'. That's why the name means a small woodland bird known for its quiet, whistled call.