Liberal Dictionary English Dictionary
noun
- any of numerous small passerine birds of the family Fringillidae, including the buntings, sparrows, crossbills, purple finches, and grosbeaks, most of which have a short, conical bill adapted for eating seeds.
- any of various nonfringilline birds, especially the weaverbirds of the family Ploceidae and the tropical members of the subfamily Emberizinae.
noun
- any songbird of the family Fringillidae, having a short stout bill for feeding on seeds and, in most species, a bright plumage in the male. Common examples are the goldfinch, bullfinch, chaffinch, siskin, and canary
- any of various similar or related birds
Old English finc, from Proto-Germanic *finkiz, *finkjon (cf. Middle Low German and Middle Dutch vinke, Dutch vink, Old High German finco, German Fink), perhaps imitative of the bird’s note (cf. Breton pint “chaffinch,” Russian penka “wren”).