linnet

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   a small Old World finch whose male develops crimson markings on the forehead and breast

   A linnet sang from the gorse at the edge of the field.

2. 2
   noun

   an older North American name for the house finch

   Older field guides sometimes call the house finch a linnet.

From Old French linette, a diminutive of lin ("flax"). The bird was named for its fondness for flaxseed. The same flax word lies behind linen; the dialectal bird name lintwhite is also related.

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