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nightingale

Syllabification: (night·in·gale)
Pronunciation: /ˈnītnˌgāl, ˈnītiNG-/
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Definition of nightingale

noun

  • a small European thrush with drab brownish plumage, noted for the rich melodious song of the male, heard especially at night in breeding season.
    • Luscinia megarhynchos, subfamily Turdinae, family Muscicapidae

Origin:

Old English nihtegala, of Germanic origin; related to Dutch nachtegaal and German Nachtigall, from the base of night and a base meaning 'sing'

nightingale in other Oxford dictionaries

Definition of nightingale in the British & World English dictionary

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