robin

Any of various passerine birds (about 100 species) of the families Muscicapidae, Turdidae and Petroicidae (formerly Eopsaltriidae), typically with a red breast.

Noun

  1. Any of various passerine birds (about 100 species) of the families Muscicapidae, Turdidae and Petroicidae (formerly Eopsaltriidae), typically with a red breast.
    • As they turned into Hertford Street they startled a robin from the poet's head on a barren fountain, and he fled away with a cameo note. - 1922, Michael Arlen, “Ep./4/2”, in “Piracy”: A Romantic Chronicle of These Days:

    1. A European robin, Erithacus rubecula.

    2. An American robin, Turdus migratorius.

  2. A trimming in front of a dress.

Origin

Short for robin redbreast. Also from Middle English robynet, robynett (“robin (bird)”), from the Middle English name Robynett, a diminutive of the Middle English name Robyn (“Robin”). ] ]

Forms

robins

Synonyms

redbreast robin redbreast ruddock

Derived

American robin Australasian robin cock-robin cock-robin shop eastern yellow robin flyrobin forest robin golden bush robin golden robin Japanese robin magpie-robin mangrove robin Natal robin North American robin Peking robin Pekin robin ragged robin robin-breast robin-chat robin dipper robin egg blue Robin Hill robinlike robin redbreast

Noun chemistry, natural sciences

  1. A toxalbumin obtained from the locust tree.

Related

robinin round-robin

Derived

antirobin