house sparrow

noun

: a sparrow (Passer domesticus) native to Eurasia that has been introduced worldwide and is found especially in urban and agricultural areas

called also English sparrow

Examples of house sparrow in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Among the most ubiquitous and abundant songbirds in the world, house sparrows are urban creatures that thrive where people do. Dorany Pineda, Los Angeles Times, 11 Oct. 2023 Every year around this time a diminutive and delicate-looking bird, about the size of a common house sparrow, shows up in small groups at North Point State Park in Baltimore County, on the shores of the Chesapeake Bay. Richard B. Karel, Baltimore Sun, 5 Jan. 2024 Turns out, there’s at least one squirrel in my neighborhood that either has a very high pain tolerance or, quite possibly, is a biologically unanticipated hybrid between a house sparrow and a Kentucky squirrel! Paul Cappiello, The Courier-Journal, 12 Jan. 2024 The researchers spotted a house sparrow and pulled binoculars to their eyes. Dorany Pineda, Los Angeles Times, 11 Oct. 2023 But less than 10 miles to the northeast, in the wealthy city of San Marino, house sparrows were nowhere to be heard. Dorany Pineda, Los Angeles Times, 11 Oct. 2023 House Sparrow Immigrants to North America, house sparrows are thought to have spread across the country with the help of freight trains. John Heasly, USA TODAY, 6 July 2023 The American robin is among a handful of wildlife species, including the house sparrow, gray squirrel, cottontail rabbit and coyote, able to thrive in a variety of habitats. Paul A. Smith, Journal Sentinel, 27 Apr. 2023 The condition mostly affected songbirds, including the American robin, blue jay, common grackle, yellowtail flicker, European starling, northern cardinal, house finch, house sparrow, Eastern bluebird, red-bellied woodpecker, and Carolina wren, but had also spread to woodpeckers. Christopher Arnott, courant.com, 20 Aug. 2021

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'house sparrow.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1653, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of house sparrow was in 1653

Dictionary Entries Near house sparrow

Cite this Entry

“House sparrow.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/house%20sparrow. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

house sparrow

noun
: a sparrow native to Europe and Asia that has been introduced into and now occurs widely in the New World

called also English sparrow

More from Merriam-Webster on house sparrow

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!