zebra finch

noun

: a small Australian waxbill (Taeniopygia guttata synonym Poephila guttata) that is chiefly gray above and white below with a red or orange bill, a black-and-white barred tail, and in the male a black-barred throat and that is often kept as a cage bird

Examples of zebra finch in a Sentence

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The organization is backed by entities like Linkedin cofounder Reid Hoffman and the Paul G. Allen Family Foundation and is building a model that analyzes patterns in vocalizations of animals like beluga, crows and zebra finches. Rashi Shrivastava, Forbes, 22 Oct. 2024 They’ve also been involved in mapping parts of the brains of the zebra finch (a small bird) and zebrafish larvae. Will Sullivan, Smithsonian Magazine, 10 May 2024 The researchers couldn’t hear a difference between the males’ songs before and after the break—but female zebra finches definitely could. Olivia Ferrari, Scientific American, 12 Dec. 2023 Two songbirds studied, zebra finches and canaries, are domesticated. Jocelyn Solis-Moreira, Popular Science, 14 Sep. 2023 See all Example Sentences for zebra finch 

Word History

First Known Use

1868, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of zebra finch was in 1868

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Cite this Entry

“Zebra finch.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/zebra%20finch. Accessed 21 Nov. 2024.

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