: any of several small North American oscine birds (genus Baeolophus of the family Paridae) that are related to the chickadees, have small bills and usually long tails, and have been sometimes placed especially formerly in a related genus (Parus)
Example Sentences
Recent Examples on the WebBinoculars mean the difference between seeing a little gray bird and identifying a titmouse, cheering a home run and seeing the epic catch, or realizing that the 10-point buck is actually a doe standing in front of dead branches. Scott Gilbertson, WIRED, 22 Aug. 2022 Binoculars mean the difference between seeing a little gray bird and identifying a titmouse, cheering a home run and seeing the epic catch, or realizing that the 10-point buck is actually a doe standing in front of dead branches. Scott Gilbertson, WIRED, 22 Aug. 2022 Binoculars mean the difference between seeing a little gray bird and identifying a titmouse, cheering a home run and seeing the epic catch, or realizing that the 10-point buck is actually a doe standing in front of dead branches. Scott Gilbertson, Wired, 12 Mar. 2022 The titmouse managed to steal over 20 beak-fulls of the raccoon’s fur without waking it.New York Times, 6 Aug. 2021 While these creatures need water for drinking and bathing, landing on a basin on the ground could attract the unwanted company of natural predators, so give a tufted titmouse a break. Steve Bender, Southern Living, 17 Mar. 2021 Once breeding season is over, however, the titmouse will venture out for short vacations.San Diego Union-Tribune, 31 Oct. 2020 Scotch Blue,’’ for example, suggests both the throat of a blue titmouse and copper ore.Boston.com Real Estate, 24 Jan. 2020 These include such familiar birds as red-bellied woodpecker, Carolina wren, Northern mockingbird, tufted titmouse and Northern cardinal. James F. Mccarty, cleveland.com, 8 Dec. 2017 See More
Word History
Etymology
Middle English titemose, tetmose "tit (European bird of the family Paridae)," from tite-, tet-, probably of expressive origin + mose "any of various small Eurasian songbirds of the family Paridae," going back to Old English māse, going back to Germanic *maisōn- (whence also Old Saxon mēsa "tit," Middle Dutch mese, Old High German meisa, Icelandic -meisa), of uncertain origin
Note: The Middle English word was reshaped by folk etymology in early Modern English after mouse entry 1. The word tit was used (and is still used regionally in Britain) for a small horse, a girl or young woman, and a boy. — The Germanic etymon occurs with a suffix in Old Icelandic meisingr "tit" and the Frankish (Old Low Franconian) word behind Old French mesange "tit," Modern French mésange.