nightingale

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night·in·gale

(nīt′n-gāl′, nī′tĭng-)

1. A songbird (Luscinia megarhynchos) of Eurasia and Africa with reddish-brown plumage, noted for the melodious song of the male during the breeding season, most often heard at night.

2. Any of various other songbirds of the genus Luscinia.

[Middle English, from Old English nihtegale : niht, night; see night + galan, to sing; see ghel- in Indo-European roots.]

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

nightingale

(ˈnaɪtɪŋˌɡeɪl)

1. (Animals) a brownish European songbird, Luscinia megarhynchos, with a broad reddish-brown tail: well known for its musical song, usually heard at night

2. (Animals) any of various similar or related birds, such as Luscinia luscinia (thrush nightingale)

[Old English nihtegale, literally: night-singer, from night + galan to sing]

Nightingale

(ˈnaɪtɪŋˌɡeɪl)

(Biography) Florence, known as the Lady with the Lamp. 1820–1910, English nurse, famous for her work during the Crimean War. She helped to raise the status and quality of the nursing profession and founded a training school for nurses in London (1860)

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

night•in•gale

(ˈnaɪt nˌgeɪl, ˈnaɪ tɪŋ-)

n.

any of several small Old World birds of the thrush subfamily, esp. Luscinia megarhynchos, of Europe, noted for the melodious song of the male, often heard at night.

[1200–50; Middle English nightyngale, nightegale, Old English nihtegale, c. German Nachtigall, literally, night singer (compare Old English galan sing; akin to yell)]

Night•in•gale

(ˈnaɪt nˌgeɪl, ˈnaɪ tɪŋ-)

n.

Florence, 1820–1910, English nurse and hospital reformer.

ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:

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Noun	1.	nightingale - European songbird noted for its melodious nocturnal song Luscinia megarhynchos thrush - songbirds characteristically having brownish upper plumage with a spotted breast genus Luscinia, Luscinia - nightingales bulbul - nightingale spoken of in Persian poetry
	2.	Nightingale - English nurse remembered for her work during the Crimean War (1820-1910) Florence Nightingale, Lady with the Lamp

nightingale

noun

Related words
collective noun watch

Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002

Translations

بُلْبُل

славей

slavík

nattergal

etelänsatakieli

fülemülecsalogány

næturgali

usignolo

luscinia

lakštingala

lakstīgala

privighetoare

slávik

slavec

bülbül

соловей

夜莺

nightingale

[ˈnaɪtɪŋgeɪl] N → ruiseñor m

Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

nightingale

[ˈnaɪtɪŋgeɪl] n → rossignol m

Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005

nightingale

n → Nachtigall f

Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

nightingale

[ˈnaɪtɪŋˌgeɪl] n → usignolo

nightingale

(ˈnaitiŋgeil) , ((American) -tən-) noun

a type of small bird with a beautiful song.

References in classic literature ?

From her nest in the holm-oak tree the Nightingale heard him, and she looked out through the leaves, and wondered.

"Here at last is a true lover," said the Nightingale. "Night after night have I sung of him, though I knew him not: night after night have I told his story to the stars, and now I see him.

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The discourse turned at present, as before, on love; and Mr Nightingale again expressed many of those warm, generous, and disinterested sentiments upon this subject, which wise and sober men call romantic, but which wise and sober women generally regard in a better light.

Jones was now more positive than ever in asserting, that these things must have been delivered by mistake; and Mrs Miller herself expressed some doubt, and said, "She knew not what to think." But when Mr Nightingale was asked, he delivered a very different opinion.

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Here day by day Nicolete fed her young soul on the nightingale's-tongues of literature, and put down her book only to listen to the nightingale's- tongues outside.

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A NIGHTINGALE, sitting aloft upon an oak and singing according to his wont, was seen by a Hawk who, being in need of food, swooped down and seized him.

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Jorindel turned to see the reason, and beheld his Jorinda changed into a nightingale, so that her song ended with a mournful /jug, jug/.

She mumbled something to herself, seized the nightingale, and went away with it in her hand.

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And he had also a nightingale which could sing as if all the beautiful melodies in the world were shut up in its little throat.

'Let us see first what is in the other casket before we begin to be angry,' thought the Emperor, and there came out the nightingale. It sang so beautifully that one could scarcely utter a cross word against it.

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And furthermore, the Prince had a nightingale, who could sing in such a manner that it seemed as though all sweet melodies dwelt in her little throat.

So the nightingale came forth and sang so delightfully that at first no one could say anything ill-humored of her.