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Webster 1913 Edition

Titmouse

Tit′mouseˊ

,
Noun.
;
pl.
Titmice
(#)
.
[OE.
titemose
,
titmase
;
tit
small, or a small bird + AS.
māse
a kind of small bird; akin to D.
mees
a titmouse, G.
meise
, OHG.
meisa
, Icel.
meisingr
. The English form has been influenced by the unrelated word
mouse
. Cf.
Tit
a small bird.]
(Zool.)
Any one of numerous species of small insectivorous singing birds belonging to
Parus
and allied genera; – called also
tit
, and
tomtit
.
☞ The blue titmouse (
Parus coeruleus
), the marsh titmouse (
Parus palustris
), the crested titmouse (
Parus cristatus
), the great titmouse (
Parus major
), and the long tailed titmouse (
Aegithalos caudatus
), are the best-known European species. See
Chickadee
.

Webster 1828 Edition

Titmouse

TIT'MOUSE

,
Noun.
[tit, small, and mouse.] A small bird of the genus Parus.

Definition 2024

titmouse

titmouse

English

A titmouse, Periparus ater

Noun

titmouse ‎(plural titmouses or titmice)

  1. Any small passerine bird of the family Paridae, which are found in the woods of the northern hemisphere and of Africa.

Translations

Synonyms

See also

Anagrams

Etymology

From Middle English titmose, compound of tit ‎(“small bird”) and Old English māse ‎(“titmouse”), from Proto-Germanic *maisǭ (compare Dutch mees, German Meise, Old Norse meisingr), from *maisaz ‎(“tiny, puny”) (compare Norwegian meis ‎(“skinny weakling”)). The plural is formed in imitation of the otherwise unrelated mouse.

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