| 释义 |
greenfinch|ˈgriːnfɪnʃ|
[See green a.1 and finch. Cf. G. grünfink, Du. groenvink.]
1. A common European bird of the family Fringillidæ, Coccothraustes or Ligurinus chloris, so called from its green-and-gold plumage. Called also green linnet. Chinese greenfinch, Ligurinus sinicus.
c1532G. Du Wes Introd. Fr. in Palsgr. 912 The grene fynche, la verdiere. 1544Turner Avium Præcip. Hist. F 3 De Ligvrino sive Spino..Anglicè a grene finche. 1678Ray Willughby's Ornith. 246 The Green-finch: Chloris..It is bigger than a House-Sparrow..It is called by some the Green Linnet. 1766Pennant Brit. Zool. (1768) II. 330 The greenfinch does not begin his [flight] till the frost sets in. 1894R. B. Sharpe Handbk. Birds Gt. Brit. I. 32 In summer the Greenfinch is somewhat shy, but in winter it is found in flocks in the fields and farmyards along with Sparrows and Chaffinches.
2. The Texas sparrow (Embernagra rufivirgata).
1883Encycl. Amer. I. 530/1 The green finch (Embernagra rufivirgata) of Texas.
3. slang. One of the Pope's Irish guard.
1865Daily Tel. 1 Nov. 5/3 Point d'argent, point de Suisse—a saying applicable alike to every contingent, from the Franco-Belgian down to the ‘greenfinches’ of Old Ireland. |