goldfinch
noun
gold·finch
| \ ˈgōl(d)-ˌfinch
\
\
Definition of goldfinch
: any of several small, active, often brightly-colored finches (genus Carduelis of the family Fringillidae) with yellow in their plumage: such as
a
: a small finch (Carduelis tristis) native to North America that in the breeding plumage of the male is yellow with a white rump and black markings on the wings, tail, and crown
— called also American goldfinch
b
: one (Carduelis carduelis) native to Europe, western and central Asia, and northern Africa that has the front of the head and throat bright red, the nape with part of the wings and tail black, and the wings marked in bright yellow
Examples of goldfinch in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
By planting native flowers and grasses, bird watchers soon will begin seeing species like the indigo bunting, sparrows, pheasants, goldfinch and catbirds. — Micah Walker, Detroit Free Press, "Detroit Audubon turns east side park into a haven for bird watchers," 3 Sep. 2019 The bird, of course, is a goldfinch–or rather a painting of one from the 17th century by the Dutch artist Carel Fabritius. — Time, "Behind the Scenes of The Goldfinch, a Rare and Delicate Hollywood Specimen," 22 Aug. 2019 As House Beautiful recently explained, this humble flower attracts goldfinch birds — thanks both to their bright color and their also being a food source for the birds. — Perri Ormont Blumberg, Southern Living, "This Gorgeous Purple Flower Can Help Ward Off Unwanted Pests," 24 June 2019 Photos of that display show the flowers towering along an incline on both sides of the escalators and goldfinches gathering in them. — Theresa Vargas, Washington Post, "‘Please don’t kill the sunflowers’: The Phantom Planter says Metro destroyed more than 100 sunflowers at the Dupont Circle station," 19 June 2019 These colors will attract hummingbirds, orioles, goldfinches, warblers, bluebirds, and jays. — Tainaya Nash, House Beautiful, "The Color Flower That Birds Avoid Completely," 12 June 2019 Leave them standing in the meadow or prairie until spring—birds (including goldfinches) love the seeds, and the cones will remain showy through winter. — The Editors, Good Housekeeping, "A Quick Guide to Growing Stunning Black-Eyed Susans and Coneflowers," 29 May 2018 Leave them standing in the meadow or prairie until spring—birds (including goldfinches) love the seeds, and the cones will remain showy through winter. — The Editors, Good Housekeeping, "A Quick Guide to Growing Stunning Black-Eyed Susans and Coneflowers," 29 May 2018 Leave them standing in the meadow or prairie until spring—birds (including goldfinches) love the seeds, and the cones will remain showy through winter. — The Editors, Good Housekeeping, "A Quick Guide to Growing Stunning Black-Eyed Susans and Coneflowers," 29 May 2018These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'goldfinch.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for goldfinch
goldfinch
noun
English Language Learners Definition of goldfinch
: a small mostly yellow American bird
: a small European bird that has red on its head and yellow and black wings
See the full definition for goldfinch in the English Language Learners Dictionary
goldfinch
noun
gold·finch
| \ ˈgōld-ˌfinch
\
\
Kids Definition of goldfinch
1
: a small European bird with a yellow patch on each wing
2
: a small mostly yellow American bird
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