WordGarden.ionightingale
A1Pronunciation
UK
- /nˈaɪtɪŋɡˌeɪl/
US
- /ˈnaɪtɪŋɡeɪl/
Meanings
Noun
a small thrush-like songbird known for its rich song, especially at night
a singer with an especially beautiful or melodious voice
Beyond the definition
The nightingale is a small bird best known for its rich, beautiful song, often heard at night. For centuries, poets and artists have written about it as a symbol of love, beauty, inspiration, and sometimes sadness. Unlike some birds with bright feathers, it looks quite plain, so people remember it more for its voice than for its appearance.
In the past, some people kept these birds in cages for their singing, but today they are protected in many places. You are more likely to hear one than see one, especially in woodlands, thickets, and gardens in parts of Europe, Asia, and North Africa. From Shakespeare to Keats, the bird has long held a special place in people's imagination.
The nightingale is a small songbird known for its powerful, beautiful, and highly varied singing. It is not famous for bright colors or a striking look. In fact, it is a fairly plain brown bird, and its special charm comes from its voice. Its song is much more than simple chirping. It can include whistles, trills, and other flowing sounds, and people often notice it most when it sings at night.
For a long time, people admired this bird so much that some kept it in cages to enjoy its song. Today, it is better known as a wild bird that lives in woods, dense bushes, and gardens in parts of Europe, Asia, and North Africa. Because it can be hard to spot, many people know it first by sound rather than by sight.
But this bird is more than just an animal in the trees. It has become a strong symbol in literature, art, and myth. In Greek myth, it is linked with the story of Philomela. Over many centuries, writers such as Shakespeare, Keats, and Shelley used it to suggest beauty, love, loss, and inspiration. Its night song is often imagined as full of deep feeling, sometimes joyful and sometimes mournful.
The word also appears in the name of Florence Nightingale, the famous nurse, which gives it another association: compassion, healing, and care. So whether you hear the bird in the dark, meet it in a poem, or think of the woman whose name became known around the world, the nightingale carries a sense of beauty, feeling, and hope.
Examples
- 1
Birdsong
We heard a nightingale singing in the trees after sunset.
- 2
Garden song
The nightingale's song carried across the quiet garden.
- 3
Beautiful singing
Everyone said she sang like a nightingale.
- Phrasesing like a nightingale
sing very beautifully
See also
Forms and spellings
2 forms open this card.
Main spelling
- nightingalenoun
Forms
- nightingalespluralnoun