ENGLISH
REFERENCE

nightingale

n. countable
C2 Proficiency US //ˈnaɪtɪŋɡeɪɫ// UK //nˈaɪtɪŋɡˌeɪl// nightin·gale

n. a small brown bird that is famous for its beautiful singing. You usually hear it at night during the spring and summer.

n. a small migratory passerine bird of the thrush family, noted for the powerful and melodious song of the male, often heard at night. Frequently used in literary contexts as a symbol of beauty or melancholy.


SIMPLE

We heard a nightingale singing in the woods last night.

CONTEXTUAL

The nightingale is often heard in the dense thickets of southern England during the late spring months.

COMPLEX

Poets throughout history have celebrated the nightingale for its nocturnal song, often casting the bird as a solitary voice of longing in the darkness of the forest.

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