Veery

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A type of bird resembling a small thrush, often found in wooded areas and known for its melodious song
2. A member of the thrush family that is characterized by its soft brown feathers and pleasing vocalizations
3. A songbird commonly inhabiting forests, recognized for its delightful singing and distinctive appearance

Etymology: The veery is a thrush of North American woodlands, and its name most likely comes from its call rather than from any older English word. Etymologists generally treat it as imitative, meaning the bird's own song was the model for the name, much as "cuckoo" and "whip-poor-will" were formed. The word is recorded only from the 19th century, which makes it a comparatively late addition to English bird names, many of which trace back centuries. The sound it echoes is the bird's distinctive spiral of falling, flute-like notes, which people often describe as a shimmering, ringing "veer" or "veer-ee" drifting down through the undergrowth. Because the name was fixed in print so recently, it remains tied to the bird's voice in a way that older, more abstract bird names are not.

Synonyms: thrush, songbird