Search Dictionary
Definition of barn swallow
barn swallow
Plural:barn swallows
barn swallow Lexical Profile
CEFR
B2
Grade
5
Tier
2
Usage
Rare
• noun
1
A small, widely distributed migratory passerine bird (Hirundo rustica) characterized by a deeply forked tail, metallic blue upperparts, and reddish or buff underparts, known for building cup-shaped mud nests on the beams and eaves of human-made structures.
Example
"Flocks of barn swallows darted gracefully through the twilight sky, catching flying insects on the wing before returning to their mud nests under the eaves."
Synonyms
View all synonyms for barn swallowWord Origin & Etymology
Derived from its characteristic habit of nesting in human-made structures such as barns. 'Barn' comes from Old English 'bereærn' (barley house) and 'swallow' from Old English 'swealwe'.
Usage Trend
Historical frequency of usage in published text.
180019102020
Data source: Google Books Ngram Viewer
Cite this Entry
Wordmom. (2026). Definition of Barn swallow. In Wordmom Dictionary. Retrieved Oct 13, 2026, from https://wordmom.com/dictionary/barn swallow