English Reference

Word

robin

US/ˈɹɑbən/

UK/ɹˈɒbɪn/

Definitions

01a bird

A2

n. a small bird with a bright red or orange chest, often seen in gardens.

n. any of several small passerine birds, particularly the European robin (Erithacus rubecula) or the American robin (Turdus migratorius).

“A robin sat on the garden fence and sang a beautiful song.”

“The European robin is a frequent visitor to gardens and is often associated with winter and Christmas in British folklore.”

Teaching tip

Note that the 'robin' in North America is a different, larger species than the one in Europe, though both have red chests.

Synonyms

redbreast

02a person's name

A2

n. a name for a person, used for both men and women.

n. a unisex given name of Germanic origin, originally a diminutive of Robert.

“Robin and his sister went to the park to play.”

“The name Robin gained significant popularity in the mid-twentieth century as both a masculine and feminine given name.”

Usage

Capitalized as a proper noun.

Etymology

* (masculine given name): From Middle English Robin, from Old French, diminutive of Robert. * (feminine given name): From the bird, robin, or from Germanic.

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

This entry

Level
A2 · Elementary
Frequency
Common
Updated

Scan code

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English Reference