Dictionary

sparrow en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• (US) audio Mary-marry-merry
• /ˈspaɾou/ (Wales) without the toe–tow merger
• /ˈspaɾo/ (Scotland)
• (US) audio non-Mary-marry-merry
• /ˈspæɹoʊ/ (US) without the Mary–marry–merry merger
• /ˈspaɹəw/ (British, Southern, Standard)
• /ˈspæɹəʊ/ (Received-Pronunciation)
• /ˈspɛɹoʊ/ US, Mary–marry–merry merger

Etymology

From Middle English sparewe, sparowe, sparu, sparwe, spearewe, sperrewe, from Old English spearwa, from Proto-West Germanic *sparwō, from Proto-Germanic *sparwô, from Proto-Indo-European *spḗr (“sparrow”). Cognates Cognate with Yola sparrowe (“sparrow”), North Frisian sparag, spåri (“sparrow”), Saterland Frisian Spräie (“sparrow”), Alemannic German and Luxembourgish Spatz (“sparrow”), Dutch spreeuw (“starling”), German Spatz, Sperling (“sparrow”), Vilamovian śpielik, śpjelik, śpjeliḱ (“sparrow”), Yiddish שפּערל (shperl, “sparrow”), Danish and Norwegian Bokmål spurv (“sparrow”), Faroese spurvur (“sparrow”), Norwegian Nynorsk sporv (“sparrow”), Swedish sparv (“sparrow”), Gothic 𐍃𐍀𐌰𐍂𐍅𐌰 (sparwa, “sparrow”); also Latin parra (“bird of ill omen”), Ancient Greek ψάρ (psár), ψήρ (psḗr, “starling”).

Meanings

1. The house sparrow, Passer domesticus; a small bird with a short bill, and brown, white and gray feathers.
   • Man progresses generally, not both legs at once like a sparrow, but by putting one leg forward first, and then the other. 1920, Edward Carpenter, Pagan and Christian Creeds, New York: Harcourt, Brace and Co., published 1921, page 192:
   • In a poem by Sappho, Aphrodite is represented as riding in a car drawn by sparrows. 1961, Harry E. Wedeck, Dictionary of Aphrodisiacs, New York: The Citadel Press, page 87:
2. A member of the family Passeridae, comprising small Old World songbirds.
3. A member of the family Passerellidae (or Emberizidae, under classification systems that subsume the New World sparrows under Emberizidae), comprising small New World songbirds.
4. Generically, any small, nondescript bird.
5. (London, UK) A quick-witted, lively person.
   • cockney sparrow
   • I take it there 's scarcely a happier fellow alive than your honest town-bred smoke-dried cockney sparrow. 1878, Charles Henry Ross, Ally Sloper's guide to the Paris exhibition, page 54:
   • Professional cockney sparrow Martine has acted since childhood. 2005, Drama Faces: Martine McCutcheon, BBC:

Forms

Deriveds

sparrowwort · sparrow-grass · sparrowish · sparrows' wedding · sparrow hawk · sparrowdom · sparrow grass · rock sparrow · sparrow-lark · sparrow mumbling · sparrowlark · sparrow-proof · sparrow dominoes · sparrow-fart · sparrow fart · sparrow shot · olive sparrow · sparrowhawk · sparrow weaver · sparrow owl · sparrow-weaver · sparrowcide · sparrowling · sparrowgrass · sparrowy · sparrowlike · sparrowless

Hyponyms

Forbush's sparrow · Brewer sparrow · tree sparrow · Italian sparrow · American sparrow · Old World sparrow · house sparrow · ground sparrow · hedge sparrow · Zapata sparrow · barley sparrow · native sparrow · Ipswich sparrow · Botteri's sparrow · grasshopper sparrow · chipping sparrow · Brewer's sparrow · seaside sparrow · sparrow vetch · song sparrow · desert sparrow · field sparrow · mountain sparrow · saltmarsh sparrow · Harris's sparrow · lark sparrow · grass sparrow · Texas sparrow · night sparrow · Eurasian tree sparrow · hen sparrow · Zarudny's sparrow · water sparrow · Lincoln's sparrow · russet sparrow · American tree sparrow · timberline sparrow · sharp-tailed sparrow · white-crowned sparrow · Bachman's sparrow · white-throated sparrow · Cassin's sparrow · rock sparrow · cock-sparrow · German sparrow · diamond sparrow · paradise sparrow · Bell's sparrow · English sparrow · cock sparrow · true sparrow · vesper sparrow · Cape sparrow · snow sparrow · Savannah sparrow · Spanish sparrow · rufous-collared sparrow · sage sparrow · New World sparrow · Asian desert sparrow · fox sparrow · LeConte's sparrow · rufous-crowned sparrow · crown sparrow · sagebrush sparrow · Java sparrow · reed sparrow · Henslow's sparrow · Nelson's sparrow · saxaul sparrow · ring sparrow · bush sparrow

Synonyms

spoggy · spuggy · spadger

Translations (183)

sa चटक (bird of the family Passeridae) · ota سرچه (bird of the family Passeridae) · non spǫrr (bird of the family Passeridae) · pac pleing (bird of the family Passeridae) · ko 참새 (bird of the family Passeridae) · mr चिमणी (bird of the family Passeridae) · axm չիտ (bird of the family Passeridae) · lt žvirblis (bird of the family Passeridae) · uk горобе́ць (bird of the family Passeridae) · vec séłega (bird of the family Passeridae) · mn бялзуухай (bird of the family Passeridae) · hy ծիտ (generically, any small, nondescript bird) · alt буудайчы (bird of the family Passeridae) · orv воробии (bird of the family Passeridae) · mr चिमणा (bird of the family Passeridae) · sh vrábac (bird of the family Passeridae) · es gorrión (bird of the family Passeridae) · hsb wroblik (bird of the family Passeridae) · sah барабыай (bird of the family Passeridae) · fa گنجشک (bird of the family Passeridae) · sv sparv (bird of the family Passeridae) · ca pardal (bird of the family Passeridae) · ar عَصْفُور (generically, any small, nondescript bird) · oc passerat (bird of the family Passeridae) · pdt Spauz (bird of the family Passeridae) · fi varpunen (bird of the family Passeridae) · uk воробе́ль (bird of the family Passeridae) · es pájaro (generically, any small, nondescript bird) · ga gealbhan (bird of the family Passeridae) · xcl ծիտ (bird of the family Passeridae) · pt escrevedeira (bird of the family Emberizidae) · gd gealbhonn (bird of the family Passeridae) · sv sparvfink (bird of the family Passeridae) · te పిచ్చుక (bird of the family Passeridae) · ru воро́бышек (bird of the family Passeridae) · my စာ (bird of the family Passeridae) · ks ژٔر (bird of the family Passeridae) · it passero (bird of the family Passeridae) · ta குருவி (bird of the family Passeridae) · ru воробе́й (bird of the family Passeridae) · pt pardal (bird of the family Passeridae) · he דְּרוֹר (bird of the family Passeridae) · ang spearwa (bird of the family Passeridae) · mk врапче (bird of the family Passeridae) · ro vrabie (bird of the family Passeridae) · rue воробе́ль (bird of the family Passeridae) · el σπουργίτης (bird of the family Passeridae) · ky таранчы (bird of the family Passeridae) · ca pardal (generically, any small, nondescript bird) · csb warbel (bird of the family Passeridae) · be верабе́й (bird of the family Passeridae) · cy sbrocsyn (bird of the family Passeridae) · id burung gereja (bird of the family Passeridae) · ka ჩიტი (bird of the family Passeridae) · uby баӷыр (bird of the family Passeridae) · tl pipit (bird of the family Passeridae) · sh вра́бац (bird of the family Passeridae) · kw golvan (bird of the family Passeridae) · nl gors (bird of the family Emberizidae) · cy aderyn (generically, any small, nondescript bird) · gl paxariño (generically, any small, nondescript bird) · kk торғай (bird of the family Passeridae) · oc passeron (bird of the family Passeridae) · sw shomoro (bird of the family Passeridae) · vec seléga (bird of the family Passeridae) · ain アマメチカッポ (bird of the family Passeridae) · lv zvirbulis (bird of the family Passeridae) · es pardal (bird of the family Passeridae) · as ঘৰচৰাই (bird of the family Passeridae) · ug قۇشقاچ (bird of the family Passeridae) · cmn 麻雀 (bird of the family Passeridae) · ky тараанчы (bird of the family Passeridae) · fr bruant (bird of the family Emberizidae) · dsb wrobel (bird of the family Passeridae) · ba турғай (bird of the family Passeridae) · de Sperling (bird of the family Passeridae) · hy դրախտապան (bird of the family Emberizidae) · is spörfugl (bird of the family Passeridae) · hy ճնճղուկ (bird of the family Passeridae) · xmf ჩიტი (bird of the family Passeridae) · kmr çûk (bird of the family Passeridae) · tg чумчук (bird of the family Passeridae) · ca teuladí (bird of the family Passeridae) · sq trumcak (bird of the family Passeridae) · hi गौरैया (bird of the family Passeridae) · el σπουργίτι (bird of the family Passeridae) · cs vrabec (bird of the family Passeridae) · xcl ծիտ (generically, any small, nondescript bird) · sq harabel (bird of the family Passeridae) · et varblane (bird of the family Passeridae) · de Spatz (bird of the family Passeridae) · tr serçe (bird of the family Passeridae) · ur گورییا (bird of the family Passeridae) · ja 雀 (bird of the family Passeridae) · gu ચકલી (bird of the family Passeridae) · xag 𐕖𐕒𐔱𐔰𐔾 (bird of the family Passeridae) · xdq чако (bird of the family Passeridae) · ar عُصْفُور (bird of the family Passeridae) · km ចាប (bird of the family Passeridae) · ru воро́бушек (bird of the family Passeridae) · hu veréb (bird of the family Passeridae) · mk врабец (bird of the family Passeridae) · duo pipittot (bird of the family Passeridae) · hi गौरिया (bird of the family Passeridae) · am ድንቢጥ (bird of the family Passeridae) · pl trznadel (bird of the family Emberizidae) · nl mus (bird of the family Passeridae) · es pasérido (bird of the family Passeridae) · nv tsídiiłbáhí (bird of the family Passeridae) · got 𐍃𐍀𐌰𐍂𐍅𐌰 (bird of the family Passeridae) · da spurv (bird of the family Passeridae) · wbk girišig (bird of the family Passeridae) · uz chumchuq (bird of the family Passeridae) · kmr çivîk (bird of the family Passeridae) · nl huismus (bird of the family Passeridae) · hsb wrobl (bird of the family Passeridae) · be варо́бчык (bird of the family Passeridae) · alt парбике (bird of the family Passeridae) · fa ملیچ (bird of the family Passeridae) · ckb چۆلەکە (bird of the family Passeridae) · as ঘৰচিৰিকা (bird of the family Passeridae) · sv fältsparv (bird of the family Emberizidae) · kmr çûçik (bird of the family Passeridae) · hy ծիտ (bird of the family Passeridae) · ar عَصْفُور (bird of the family Passeridae) · bn চড়ুই (bird of the family Passeridae) · gl escribenta (bird of the family Emberizidae) · crh torğay (bird of the family Passeridae) · th กระจอก (bird of the family Passeridae) · ml കുരുവി (bird of the family Passeridae) · nds Lüneng (bird of the family Passeridae) · la passer (bird of the family Passeridae) · nb spurv (bird of the family Passeridae) · ka ბეღურა (bird of the family Passeridae) · mn богширго (bird of the family Passeridae) · uk воробе́ць (bird of the family Passeridae) · gl pardal (bird of the family Passeridae) · tt чыпчык (bird of the family Passeridae) · cu врабии (bird of the family Passeridae) · he אַנְקוֹר (bird of the family Passeridae) · eo pasero (bird of the family Passeridae) · yi וואָראָבייטשיק (bird of the family Passeridae) · lo ກະຈອກ (bird of the family Passeridae) · uk горо́бчик (bird of the family Passeridae) · syl ꠌꠠꠂ (bird of the family Passeridae) · hu sármány (bird of the family Emberizidae) · tk serçe (bird of the family Passeridae) · bg врабче́ (bird of the family Passeridae) · ks کٲنٛتُر (bird of the family Passeridae) · fo spurvur (bird of the family Passeridae) · vi sẻ (bird of the family Passeridae) · fi pikkulintu (generically, any small, nondescript bird) · bal جنجشک (bird of the family Passeridae) · izh cirkkulain (bird of the family Passeridae) · fi sirkku (bird of the family Emberizidae) · pt passarinho (generically, any small, nondescript bird) · or ଚଟିଆ (bird of the family Passeridae) · mn болжмор (bird of the family Passeridae) · arz عصفور (bird of the family Passeridae) · ks کانٛتُر (bird of the family Passeridae) · ne भँगेरा (bird of the family Passeridae) · bn চড়াই (bird of the family Passeridae) · mtq khé (bird of the family Passeridae) · sl vrábəc (bird of the family Passeridae) · mn бор шувуу (bird of the family Passeridae) · cv ҫерҫи (bird of the family Passeridae) · ta சிட்டுக்குருவி (bird of the family Passeridae) · nn sporv (bird of the family Passeridae) · as ঘনচিৰিকা (bird of the family Passeridae) · tg гунҷишк (bird of the family Passeridae) · fr piaf (generically, any small, nondescript bird) · fo spurv (bird of the family Passeridae) · yi שפּערל (bird of the family Passeridae) · grc στρουθός (bird of the family Passeridae) · mi tiu (bird of the family Passeridae) · pl wróbel (bird of the family Passeridae) · lb Spatz (bird of the family Passeridae) · az sərçə (bird of the family Passeridae) · bho गौरइया (bird of the family Passeridae) · fr moineau (bird of the family Passeridae) · ms pipit (bird of the family Passeridae) · xmf ბაღჷრე (bird of the family Passeridae) · sk vrabec (bird of the family Passeridae)

wikidata: Q14683