noun
swallow
A small bird with long pointed wings that catches insects in flight.
A swallow skims over the pond, catching insects in the air.
Etymology
The Old English bird-name continues directly in the modern word. It is historically separate from the verb for moving food down the throat.
More examples
- Two swallows build a mud nest under the porch roof.
- The swallow folds its pointed wings as it lands.
- We watch swallows dart above the field at dusk.
Forms
swallow · swallows
Similar words
- swift
- A similar aerial insect hunter from a different bird family.
- martin
- A type of swallow, often nesting in large colonies.