wheatear
Meaning
Noun
- Any of various passerine birds of the genus Oenanthe that feed on insects,
- An ear of wheat.
- A decorative pattern resembling an ear of wheat.
Related
Similar words
- clodhopper, fallow-chat, fallow-smiter
Origin
- Uncertain. Probably a from Middle English whit ers ("white arse"), after the prominent white rump of many species. Compare dialect forms whiterump, white-tail. Possibly a compound of wheat + ear or white + ear. Attested since the seventeenth century as wheat-ears or wheatgear.
- From Middle English whete-ere, equivalent to .
Modern English dictionary
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