passerine

from WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006)

passerine
    adj 1: relating to or characteristic of the passeriform birds
           [ant: {nonpasserine}]
    n 1: perching birds mostly small and living near the ground with
         feet having 4 toes arranged to allow for gripping the
         perch; most are songbirds; hatchlings are helpless [syn:
         {passerine}, {passeriform bird}]

from The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48

Passerine \Pas"ser*ine\, a. [L. passerinus, fr. passer a
   sparrow.] (Zool.)
   Of or pertaining to the {Passeres}.
   [1913 Webster]

         The columbine, gallinaceous, and passerine tribes
         people the fruit trees.                  --Sydney
                                                  Smith.
   [1913 Webster]

from The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48

Passerine \Pas"ser*ine\, n. (Zool.)
   One of the {Passeres}.
   [1913 Webster]

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