wren Meaning, Definition & Usage

  1. noun English architect who designed more than fifty London churches (1632-1723)
    Sir Christopher Wren.
  2. noun any of several small active brown birds of the northern hemisphere with short upright tails; they feed on insects
    jenny wren.

WordNet

Wren noun
Etymology
OE. wrenne, AS. wrenna, wrænna, perhaps akin to wrne lascivious.
Definitions
  1. (Zoöl.) Any one of numerous species of small singing birds belonging to Troglodytes and numerous allied of the family Troglodytidæ. ✍ Among the species best known are the house wren (Troglodytes aëdon) common in both Europe and America, and the American winter wren (T. hiemalis). See also Cactus wren, Marsh wren, and Rock wren, under Cactus, Marsh, and Rock.
  2. (Zoöl.) Any one of numerous species of small singing birds more or less resembling the true wrens in size and habits. ✍ Among these are several species of European warblers; as, the reed wren (see Reed warbler (a), under Reed), the sedge wren (see Sedge warbler, under Sedge), the willow wren (see Willow warbler, under Willow), the golden-crested wren, and the ruby-crowned wren (see Kinglet).

Webster 1913