sparrowling en · NOUN
Etymology
From sparrow + -ling.
Meanings
-
A small, young, or immature sparrow.
The poor sparrowling struggled bravely, but every attempt ended in failure [...]
1885, The Atlantic Monthly, volume 55, page 491:“Hallo,” Rossamünd said softly, “has the Sparrowling sent you?” The sparrow chirruped loudly. Was that a reply? The tiny bird chirped again and shot away, Rossamünd losing sight of it in the thick foliage.
2010, D.M. Cornish, The Foundling's Tale, Part Two:Here was a saintsend of young girls and a bucket of boisterous boys as full of life as sparrowlings in summer[.]
1982, Paul Radley, My Blue-Checker Corker and Me, Sydney: Fontana/Collins, page 89:
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| sparrowlings | Number=Plur | lexicographic |