titmouse Meaning, Definition & Usage

  1. noun small insectivorous birds
    tit.

WordNet

Tit"mouse` noun
Etymology
OE. titemose, titmase; tit small, or a small bird + AS. mase a kind of small bird; akin to D. mees a titmouse, G. meise, OHG. meisa, Icel. meisingr. The English form has been influenced by the unrelated word mouse. Cf. Tit a small bird.
Wordforms
plural Titmice
Definitions
  1. (Zoöl.) Any one of numerous species of small insectivorous singing birds belonging to Parus and allied genera; -- called also tit, and tomtit. ✍ The blue titmouse (Parus coeruleus), the marsh titmouse (P. palustris), the crested titmouse (P. cristatus), the great titmouse (P. major), and the long tailed titmouse (Ægithalos caudatus), are the best-known European species. See Chickadee.

Webster 1913