nightingale

B2 Topic:Family & Relationships

US /ˈnaɪtɪŋɡeɪl/ See IPA manual

Freq #11185

Meanings

1

noun
A Eurasian and African songbird, Luscinia megarhynchos, family Muscicapidae, famed for its beautiful singing at night; a common nightingale.

Wilt thou be gone? It is not yet neere day: / It was the Nightingale, and not the Larke, / That pier'ſt the fearefull hollow of thine eare.
2

noun
A temporary facility built at short notice during the COVID-19 pandemic, or by extension any other emergency.

In June, the National Education Union wrote to the government, asking it to set up “Nightingale schools”: classrooms in churches, libraries and leisure centres.
3

noun
European songbird noted for its melodious nocturnal song
4

noun
A kind of flannel scarf with sleeves, formerly worn by invalids when sitting up in bed.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 noun · a eurasian and african... philomel

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English nyghtyngale, nightingale, niȝtingale, alteration (with intrusive n) of nyghtgale, nightegale, from Old English nihtegala, nihtegale (“nightingale; night-raven”, literally “night-singer”), from Proto-West Germanic *nahtigalā (“nightingale”), equivalent to a compound of night + gale. Cognate with Saterland Frisian Noachtegoal (“nightingale”), Dutch nachtegaal (“nightingale”), German Low German Nachtigall (“nightingale”), German Nachtigall (“nightingale”), Danish nattergal (“thrush nightingale”), Swedish näktergal (“nightingale”), Icelandic næturgali (“nightingale”).

Topics

Family & Relationships

External links

# nightingale

**Type:** Word
**Level:** B2
**Part of speech:** noun
**IPA (US):** /ˈnaɪtɪŋɡeɪl/
**Frequency rank:** 11185

## Meanings
1. A Eurasian and African songbird, Luscinia megarhynchos, family Muscicapidae, famed for its beautiful singing at night; a common nightingale.
2. A temporary facility built at short notice during the COVID-19 pandemic, or by extension any other emergency.
3. European songbird noted for its melodious nocturnal song
4. A kind of flannel scarf with sleeves, formerly worn by invalids when sitting up in bed.

## Examples
- Wilt thou be gone? It is not yet neere day: / It was the Nightingale, and not the Larke, / That pier'ſt the fearefull hollow of thine eare.
- In June, the National Education Union wrote to the government, asking it to set up “Nightingale schools”: classrooms in churches, libraries and leisure centres.

## Etymology
Inherited from Middle English nyghtyngale, nightingale, niȝtingale, alteration (with intrusive n) of nyghtgale, nightegale, from Old English nihtegala, nihtegale (“nightingale; night-raven”, literally “night-singer”), from Proto-West Germanic *nahtigalā (“nightingale”), equivalent to a compound of night + gale. Cognate with Saterland Frisian Noachtegoal (“nightingale”), Dutch nachtegaal (“nightingale”), German Low German Nachtigall (“nightingale”), German Nachtigall (“nightingale”), Danish nattergal (“thrush nightingale”), Swedish näktergal (“nightingale”), Icelandic næturgali (“nightingale”).

## Topics
- Family & Relationships

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