oriole
oriole Lexical Profile
oriole Game Scores & Validity
• noun
North American Any of various brightly colored songbirds of the family Icteridae, native to the Americas, characterized by striking black and yellow or orange plumage and the construction of pendulous, intricately woven nests.
"The vibrant orange feathers of a Baltimore oriole flashed in the sunlight as it wove its hanging nest in the upper branches of the elm tree."
An arboreal passerine bird of the family Oriolidae, native to Europe, Asia, and Africa, notable for its melodious, flute-like whistling calls and primarily yellow and black plumage.
"While walking through the dense European deciduous forest, the ornithologist paused to listen to the distinctive, liquid song of a golden oriole."
Word Nuance & Usage
The term 'oriole' refers to two distinct and unrelated groups of birds: the Old World orioles (Oriolidae) and the New World orioles (Icteridae), which share a similar golden-yellow and black appearance but differ entirely in their taxonomy.
• Rhymes for oriole
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
From Old French 'oriol', which derived from the Latin 'aureolus' meaning 'golden', in reference to the vibrant yellow plumage of the European golden oriole.
Usage Trend
Historical frequency of usage in published text.