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Any one of numerous species of small singing birds belonging to the families Paridæ and Leiotrichidæ; a titmouse.

Any one of numerous species of small insectivorous singing birds belonging to Parus and allied genera; -- called also tit, and tomtit.

Playing or singing the highest part or most acute sounds; playing or singing the treble; as, a treble violin or voice.

A shake or quaver of the voice in singing, or of the sound of an instrument, produced by the rapid alternation of two contiguous tones of the scale; as, to give a trill on the high C. See Shake.

A genus of singing birds including the common wrens.

A division of singing birds including the thrushes and allied kinds.

A genus of singing birds including the true thrushes.

An old rustic dance, accompanied with singing.

Any one of numerous species of American singing birds belonging to Vireo and allied genera of the family Vireonidæ. In many of the species the back is greenish, or olive-colored. Called also greenlet.

To practice singing on the vowel sounds.

Any one of many species of Old World singing birds belonging to Motacilla and several allied genera of the family Motacillidæ. They have the habit of constantly jerking their long tails up and down, whence the name. Field wagtail, any one of several species of wagtails of the genus Budytes having the tail shorter, the…

tate of being awake. [Obs. or Poetic] Making such difference 'twixt wake and sleep. Shak. Singing her flatteries to my morning wake. Dryden.

wall. "Seven walled towns of strength." Shak. The king of Thebes, Amphion, That with his singing walled that city. Chaucer.

Any one of numerous species of small Old World singing birds belonging to the family Sylviidæ, many of which are noted songsters. The bluethroat, blackcap, reed warbler (see under Reed), and sedge warbler (see under Sedge) are well-known species.

A small European singing bird (Saxicola oenanthe). The male is white beneath, bluish gray above, with black wings and a black stripe through each eye. The tail is black at the tip and in the middle, but white at the base and on each side. Called also checkbird, chickell, dykehopper, fallow chat, fallow finch, stonechat…

rocygna awsuree of India. -- Whistling thrush. (Zoöl.) (a) Any one of several species of singing birds of the genus Myiophonus, native of Asia, Australia, and the East Indies. They are generally black, glossed with blue, and have a patch of bright blue on each shoulder. Their note is a loud and clear whistle. (b) The…

Any one of several species of small Old World singing of the genus Zosterops, as Zosterops palpebrosus of India, and Z. coerulescens of Australia. The eyes are encircled by a ring of white feathers, whence the name. Called also bush creeper, and white-eyed tit.

fisher. See Fisher, 2. -- Wood shrike (Zoöl.), any one of numerous species of Old World singing birds belonging to Grallina, Collyricincla, Prionops, and allied genera, common in India and Australia. They are allied to the true shrikes, but feed upon both insects and berries. -- Wood snipe. (Zoöl.) (a) The American…

Any one of several species of Asiatic singing birds belonging to the genera Ianthia and Larvivora. They are closely allied to the European robin. The males are usually bright blue above, and more or less red or rufous beneath.

When a bold man is out of countenance, he makes a very wooden figure on it. Collier. His singing was, I confess, a little wooden. G. MacDonald. Wooden spoon. (a) (Cambridge University, Eng.) The last junior optime who takes a university degree, -- denoting one who is only fit to stay at home and stir porridge. "We sub…