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Definition of purple martin

purple martin

Plural:purple martins
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• noun

1

North American The largest swallow native to North America (Progne subis), recognized by the adult male's dark, glossy purplish-blue plumage and highly valued for its aerial insectivorous feeding and habit of communal nesting in artificial birdhouses.

Example

"Every spring, local birdwatchers prepare specialized compartmentalized houses to attract migrating purple martins to their backyards."

Synonyms
View all synonyms for purple martin

• Nearby Words

purple
purple coneflower
purple glossy snake
purple martin
purple tang
purpose
purr

Usage Trend

Historical frequency of usage in published text.

180019102020
Data source: Google Books Ngram Viewer

Cite this Entry

Wordmom. (2026). Definition of Purple martin. In Wordmom Dictionary. Retrieved Oct 21, 2026, from https://wordmom.com/dictionary/purple%20martin
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