nightingale
nightingale Lexical Profile
nightingale Game Scores & Validity
• noun
A small, migratory passerine bird (Luscinia megarhynchos) of the Old World flycatcher family (Muscicapidae), native to Europe, Asia, and North Africa, renowned for its powerful, complex, and melodious song, frequently heard at night.
"We sat quietly in the moonlit garden, listening to the nightingale sing its beautiful evening melody from the thicket."
A person, typically a woman, possessing an unusually beautiful, sweet, or captivating singing voice.
"The young soprano was quickly hailed by critics as the new nightingale of the opera house."
Word Origin & Etymology
From Old English 'nihtegale', derived from 'niht' (night) and 'galan' (to sing). The modern spelling acquired an epenthetic 'n' during the Middle English period.
Usage Trend
Historical frequency of usage in published text.