robin
/ˈrɒbɪn
/noun
1A small Old World thrush related to the chats, typically having a brown back with red on the breast or other colourful markings.
- Erithacus and other genera, family Turdidae: numerous species, e.g. the familiar European robin or redbreast (E. rubecula), which has an orange-red face and breast.
- In their study, the researchers compared two species of night-migratory songbirds - garden warblers and European robins - with two non-migratory songbirds - zebra finches and canaries.
- As dawn breaks on a misty Welsh morning, the earliest birds to break into song are likely to include European robins, followed by blackbirds and song thrushes.
2 [usually with adjective or noun modifier] Any of a number of other birds that resemble the European robin, especially in having a red breast:
- A large New World thrush (genus Turdus, family Turdidae), in particular the American robin (T. migratorius). A small Australasian songbird related to the flycatchers (family Eopsaltridae, in particular genus Petroica)..
Origin
Mid 16th century: from Old French, pet form of the given name Robert.
People seem to like giving birds names (see pie and parrot). Just as we might call a parrot Polly, so the bird known as a redbreast, from its distinctive colouring was called ‘Robin Redbreast’. The nickname gradually ousted the original part of the name, so that today robin is the normal term.