wheatear
/ˈwiːtɪə
/noun
A mainly Eurasian and African songbird related to the chats, with black and buff or black and white plumage and a white rump.
- Genus Oenanthe, family Turdidae: several species, in particular the grey-backed (northern) wheatear (O. oenanthe) of Eurasia and NE Canada.
- Other species such as the wheatear, ring ouzel, and sandwich tern have all been observed about one week earlier than usual.
- The name wheatears comes from the Anglo-Saxon.
Origin
Late 16th century: apparently from white (assimilated to wheat) + arse (assimilated to ear2).
Rhymes
- safety isle
- safety lamp
- safety lantern
- safety lock
- safety man
- safety match
- safety net
- safety officer
- safety paper
- safety pin
- safety play
- safety plug
- safety razor
- safety representative
- safety rod
- safety switch
- safety touchdown
- safety tube
- safety valve
- safety valving
- safety vault
- safety vent
- safety zone
- safe ward
- safeword