Definitions
from The Century Dictionary.
- noun The siskin, Chrysomitris spinus, a well-known European bird of the finch family (Fringillidæ), nearly related to the goldfinch, and somewhat resembling the green variety of the canary-bird. See
siskin . Also spelled. aberdavine, abadevine. - noun [The word (aberdevine) is not now in use, if it ever was. I believe it was first published by Albin (1737), and that it was a bird-catchers' or bird-dealers' name about London; but I suspect it may have originated in a single bird-dealer, who coined it to give fictitious value to a common bird for which he wanted to get a good price. Book-writers have gone on repeating Albin's statement without adding any new information, and I have never met with any one who called the siskin or any other bird by this name. No suggestion as to its etymology seems possible. Prof. A. Newton, letter.]
from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.
- noun (Zoöl.) The European siskin (
Carduelis spinus ), a small green and yellow finch, related to the goldfinch.
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
- noun zoology The European
siskin or spruce siskin (Carduelis spinus), a small green and yellowfinch , related to thegoldfinch .
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