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Definition of towhee

towhee

/ˈtoʊ.hiː/
tow · hee
Plural:towhees
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towhee Lexical Profile

towhee Game Scores & Validity

• noun

1

North American Any of several species of small, long-tailed North American songbirds in the New World sparrow family (Passerellidae), known for their distinctive calls and habit of foraging by scratching loudly on the ground.

Example

"While walking through the thick brush, the birdwatcher heard the distinct call of an Eastern towhee and stopped to observe it scratching among the dead leaves."

Synonyms
View all synonyms for towhee

• Nearby Words

towerlike
towhead
towheaded
towhee
towline
town
townfolk

Word Origin & Etymology

Mid 18th century: imitative of the distinctive, sharp 'tow-hee' or 'chewink' call of the Eastern towhee.

Usage Trend

Historical frequency of usage in published text.

180019102020
Data source: Google Books Ngram Viewer

Cite this Entry

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