1.
[syn: titmouse, tit]
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:
Titmouse \Tit"mouse`\, n.; pl. Titmice. [OE. titemose,
titmase; tit small, or a small bird + AS. m[=a]se a kind of
small bird; akin to D. mees a titmouse, G. meise, OHG. meisa,
Icel. meisingr. The English form has been influenced by the
unrelated word mouse. Cf. Tit a small bird.] (Zool.)
Any one of numerous species of small insectivorous singing
birds belonging to Parus and allied genera; -- called also
tit, and tomtit.
[1913 Webster]
Note: The blue titmouse (Parus coeruleus), the marsh
titmouse (Parus palustris), the crested titmouse
(Parus cristatus), the great titmouse (Parus
major), and the long tailed titmouse (Aegithalos
caudatus), are the best-known European species. See
Chickadee.
[1913 Webster]
WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006):
titmouse
n 1: small insectivorous birds [syn: titmouse, tit]