goldfinch

See also: Goldfinch

English

Etymology

From Middle English goldfinch, goldfynch, goldefynch, from Old English goldfinċ, equivalent to gold +‎ finch. Compare West Frisian goudfink (“goldfinch”), Dutch goudvink (“bullfinch”), German Goldfink (“goldfinch”), Danish guldfink (“goldfinch”), Icelandic gullfinka (“goldfinch”).

Pronunciation

Audio (US): (file)

Noun

goldfinch (plural goldfinches)

Any of several small passerine birds of the finch family
1. A European goldfinch, Eurasian goldfinch (Carduelis carduelis)
2. An American goldfinch (Spinus tristis, syn. Carduelis tristis)
3. A Lawrence's goldfinch (Spinus lawrencei, syn. Carduelis lawrencei)
4. A lesser goldfinch (Spinus psaltria, syn. Carduelis psaltria).
(UK, slang, obsolete) A sovereign (the coin).

Derived terms

Translations

any of several passerine birds

Armenian: կարմրակատար (hy) (karmrakatar)
Azerbaijani: payızbülbülü
Belarusian: шчыго́л m (ščyhól)
Bulgarian: кадънка f (kadǎnka), щиглец (bg) m (štiglec)
Catalan: cadernera (ca) f
Cherokee: ᏩᏓᎬ (wadagv)
Chinese:
Mandarin: 金翅雀 (zh) (jīnchìquè)
Czech: stehlík (cs) m
Danish: stillids c, stillits c
Estonian: ohakalind (et)
Finnish: tikli (fi) (European), amerikantikli (fi) (American)
French: chardonneret (fr) m
Galician: xílgaro (gl) m
German: Stieglitz (de) m
Greek: ακανθίς f (akanthís), ακανθυλίς f (akanthylís), καρδερίνα (el) f (karderína), γαρδέλι (el) n (gardéli)
Ancient: ἀκανθίς f (akanthís)
Hungarian: tengelic (hu)
Irish: coinnleoir Muire m
Italian: cardellino (it)
Japanese: ゴシキヒワ (ja) (goshikihiwa)
Kumyk: сарипай (saripay), сарипай жымчыкъ (saripay jımçıq), ала торгъай (ala torğay)
Latgalian: dadziļs m
Latin: carduelis f
Latvian: dadzītis m
Lithuanian: dagilis (lt) m
Navajo: tsídiiłtsooí bitʼaʼ łizhinígíí
Norman: cardrinnette f, mîngnonne dé cardrinnette f
Old Czech: stehlec m
Old Polish: szczygieł m
Old Slovak: stehlík m
Ottoman Turkish: سقا قوشی (saka kuşu)
Pennsylvania German: Dischdelfink f
Polish: szczygieł (pl) m
Portuguese: pintassilgo (pt) m
Romanian: sticlete (ro) m
Russian: щего́л (ru) m (ščegól)
Scottish Gaelic: deargan-fraoich m, lasair-choille f
Slovak: stehlík m
Spanish: jilguero (es) m, cardelino m
Swedish: steglits (sv) c
Tagalog: kardelina
Turkish: saka (tr)
Ukrainian: щи́глик m (ščýhlyk), щиго́ль m (ščyhólʹ)
Venetan: gardełìn m
Welsh: nico f

References

(sovereign): John Camden Hotten (1873) The Slang Dictionary