pipit

noun

pip·​it ˈpi-pət How to pronounce pipit (audio)
: any of various small songbirds (family Motacillidae and especially genus Anthus) resembling the lark

Examples of pipit in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
In Fairhaven, 25 American pipits on Shaw Road, five pectoral sandpipers on Shaws Cove Road, and two clapper rails and a saltmarsh sparrow. — Isabela Rocha, BostonGlobe.com, 15 Apr. 2023 But the birds migrating west were all adults, and climate change may have rerouted the pipit's migration patterns. — Elizabeth Gamillo, Smithsonian Magazine, 12 Nov. 2021

Word History

Etymology

imitative

First Known Use

1745, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of pipit was in 1745

Rhymes for pipit

See All Rhymes for pipit

Browse Nearby Words

Pipistrellus
pipit
pipkin
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Pipit.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pipit. Accessed 8 Apr. 2025.

Copy Citation

Share

More from Merriam-Webster on pipit

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about pipit

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Words in Disguise: Do these seem familiar?

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

Words You Always Have to Look Up

Democracy or Republic: What's the difference?

Every Letter Is Silent, Sometimes: A-Z List of Examples
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

What do SCOTUS, POTUS, and FLOTUS mean?

'When Pigs Fly' and Other Barnyard Idioms

8 Words with Fascinating Histories

8 Words for Lesser-Known Musical Instruments

Birds Say the Darndest Things
See More

Popular

See More

Words in Disguise: Do these seem familiar?

What do SCOTUS, POTUS, and FLOTUS mean?

'When Pigs Fly' and Other Barnyard Idioms
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Word Game Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
kestrel
Name That Bird Quiz Are you as wise as an owl or just another birdbrain?
See All