finch
noun
ˈfinch 
: any of numerous passerine songbirds (families Fringillidae, Estrildidae, Emberizidae, and Cardinalidae) having a short stout usually conical bill adapted for crushing seeds
Example Sentences
Recent Examples on the Web Meanwhile, Mo’s brother Sameer (Omar Elba) briefly goes missing to chase an apparently rare finch. 
Caroline Framke, Variety, 24 Aug. 2022 There is the Cassia crossbill, a finch with a twisty beak found in a single county in Idaho. New York Times, 3 Mar. 2022 Amazon Crafted from a soft and malleable mesh material that can hold more than seven pounds of feed, the weather-resistant Kaytee finch feeder accommodates a crowd of birds to feed all at once. Daria Smith, Southern Living, 24 Mar. 2021 Genetic analysis later identified him as a large cactus finch, probably blown in from Española, another part of the archipelago that is over 100km away. The Economist, 3 Oct. 2020 The finches, for example, were the subject of a famous 40-year study that showed their beaks changed shape as drought and rainfall on the remote Galapagos Islands altered the birds’ food supply. Eric Niiler, Wired, 20 Jan. 2020 San Cristobal is home to playful sea lions, giant tortoises and finches, and idyllic beaches. Helena De Moura, CNN, 23 Dec. 2019 Most days, a family of cardinals shows up, then the chickadees and finches and a large, loud blue jay. Beth Thames | Bethmthames@gmail.com, al, 21 Apr. 2020 To attract large numbers of gold finch, use Nyger seed in a cage feeder made for it. Tom Stienstra, SFChronicle.com, 29 Mar. 2020 See More
Caroline Framke, Variety, 24 Aug. 2022 There is the Cassia crossbill, a finch with a twisty beak found in a single county in Idaho. New York Times, 3 Mar. 2022 Amazon Crafted from a soft and malleable mesh material that can hold more than seven pounds of feed, the weather-resistant Kaytee finch feeder accommodates a crowd of birds to feed all at once. Daria Smith, Southern Living, 24 Mar. 2021 Genetic analysis later identified him as a large cactus finch, probably blown in from Española, another part of the archipelago that is over 100km away. The Economist, 3 Oct. 2020 The finches, for example, were the subject of a famous 40-year study that showed their beaks changed shape as drought and rainfall on the remote Galapagos Islands altered the birds’ food supply. Eric Niiler, Wired, 20 Jan. 2020 San Cristobal is home to playful sea lions, giant tortoises and finches, and idyllic beaches. Helena De Moura, CNN, 23 Dec. 2019 Most days, a family of cardinals shows up, then the chickadees and finches and a large, loud blue jay. Beth Thames | Bethmthames@gmail.com, al, 21 Apr. 2020 To attract large numbers of gold finch, use Nyger seed in a cage feeder made for it. Tom Stienstra, SFChronicle.com, 29 Mar. 2020 See More Word History
Etymology
Middle English fynche, fynch, going back to Old English fink, going back to West Germanic *finki-, *finkja-, perhaps going back to an Indo-European echoic noun base *ping-, whence also Greek pínga "nestling" and, with mobile s, Greek spíngon "siskin," Old Norse spiki "tit", Swedish spink "finch" (in regional gulspink "yellowhammer" or "great tit"), dialectal English spink "finch" (perhaps borrowed from Scandinavian)
First Known Use
before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above
Phrases Containing finch
Kids Definition
finch
noun
ˈfinch
: a songbird (as a sparrow, bunting, or canary) with a short bill used for eating seeds