scarlet tanager

noun

: a common American tanager (Piranga olivacea) with the male having scarlet plumage and black wings during the breeding season and the female having chiefly olive plumage

Examples of scarlet tanager 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.
Buyers were rarer than scarlet tanagers in New York, the market gnome and birdwatcher said. — Brian Domitrovic, Forbes, 6 Dec. 2024 The Bird House at the National Zoo is home to scarlet tanagers, indigo buntings and American yellow warblers. — Jennie Rothenberg Gritz, Smithsonian Magazine, 5 Sep. 2023

Word History

First Known Use

1810, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of scarlet tanager was in 1810

Browse Nearby Words

scarlet sumac
scarlet tanager
scarlet trumpet
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Cite this Entry

“Scarlet tanager.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/scarlet%20tanager. Accessed 1 Apr. 2025.

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Kids Definition

scarlet tanager

noun
: an American tanager of which the male is scarlet with black wings during the breeding season and the female is olive

More from Merriam-Webster on scarlet tanager

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about scarlet tanager

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