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Definition of titmouse

titmouse

/ˈtɪtˌmaʊs/
tit · mouse
Plural:titmice
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titmouse Lexical Profile

titmouse Game Scores & Validity

• noun

1

North American A small, active songbird of the family Paridae, native primarily to North America, typically characterized by a distinctive crest of feathers on the head and a stout bill.

Example

"A tufted titmouse visited the backyard feeder, swiftly grabbing a sunflower seed before darting back into the canopy."

Synonyms
View all synonyms for titmouse

Word Nuance & Usage

The irregular plural form is 'titmice', which evolved by mistaken analogy with the rodent 'mouse', even though the bird's name has no etymological connection to the mammal.

• Nearby Words

titled
titleholder
titlist
titmouse
titted
titter
titty

Word Origin & Etymology

From Middle English 'titmose', combining 'tit' (meaning small) and 'mase' (a name for several small birds, from Old English 'māse'). In the 16th century, 'mose' was altered to 'mouse' due to folk etymology.

Usage Trend

Historical frequency of usage in published text.

180019102020
Data source: Google Books Ngram Viewer

Cite this Entry

Wordmom. (2026). Definition of Titmouse. In Wordmom Dictionary. Retrieved Nov 5, 2026, from https://wordmom.com/dictionary/titmouse
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