tyrant flycatcher

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   any bird of the large New World family Tyrannidae, whose members typically have a broad, flattened bill and feed mainly on insects

   A scarlet-breasted tyrant flycatcher darted from its perch to seize an insect in midair.

A compound of tyrant and flycatcher, in English use by the late eighteenth century. Tyrant reflects the zoological genus Tyrannus and the aggressive territorial behavior noted in birds such as kingbirds; flycatcher names their conspicuous habit of taking flying insects. The family name Tyrannidae is formed from Tyrannus.

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