What does redbreast mean?
A redbreast is a small songbird, especially the European robin, noted for the warm orange-red patch on its breast. The name combines the plainly descriptive words 'red' and 'breast', reflecting the feature that makes the bird recognizable, even at a distance. Although 'redbreast' is still encountered in British and Irish English, particularly in older literature, nature writing, and traditional expressions, most speakers today simply call the bird a robin. The word can also be used more broadly for other birds with reddish breasts. Redbreasts are associated with approachability, persistence, and the arrival of milder weather, and they have long appeared in poems and seasonal symbolism.
nounA small, rounded songbird of the thrush family, having an orange-red breast, especially the European robin. The term is also used more generally for birds with reddish breasts.
- A small European songbird with an orange-red breast, now more commonly called a robin.
- More generally, any small bird having a reddish breast.
"A redbreast sang from the hedge as the morning light spread across the garden."
"The redbreast appeared at the window, tugging at a thread of wool."
"In older nature writing, the redbreast is celebrated for its boldness and association with the winter season."
The plural is used when referring to more than one bird of this kind.
"Several redbreasts gathered around the feeder."
The familiar redbreast is the European robin, the small bird whose orange-red breast made it a symbol of warmth, courage, and winter hospitality.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does redbreast come from?
The word is an English compound formed from 'red' and 'breast', both of which have Germanic roots. It is recorded in English by the early fifteenth century and was historically used for the European robin, whose reddish breast gives the bird its characteristic name. The compound has close parallels in other Germanic languages, including Dutch 'roodborst' and German 'Rotkehlchen', though these latter forms use different terms for the bird or its markings.
Related word forms
How redbreast is actually used
The word is especially associated with British and Irish English and has a somewhat traditional or literary quality. In everyday British English, 'robin' is usually preferred for the European bird.
Easily confused with redbreast
A redbreast is a reddish-breasted thrush, especially the European robin; in modern British usage, however, 'robin' is the usual name for that bird.
'Robin redbreast' is a traditional name or description for the European robin, while 'redbreast' alone can refer more broadly to birds with red breasts.