goldfinch
(ˈgəʊldfɪnʃ)
Also 1 goldfinc, 6 golde finche.
[f. gold1 + finch. Cf. Du. goudvink, G. goldfink.]
1. A well-known bright-coloured singing-bird (Carduelis elegans) of the family Fringillidæ, with a patch of yellow on its wings.
| c 1000 ælfric Gloss. in Wr.-Wülcker 131 Auricinctus, goldfinc. a 1250 Owl & Night. 1130 Pinnuc goldfinch rok ne crowe Ne dar þar never cumen ihende. c 1386 Chaucer Cook's T. 3 Gaillard he was as Goldfynch in the shawe. 1486 Bk. St. Albans F vj, A Cherme of Goldefynches. a 1529 Skelton P. Sparowe 392 Euery byrde in his laye. The goldfynche, the wagtayle [etc.]. 1601 Holland Pliny I. 308 The Gold-finch liueth among bushes and thorns. a 1800 Cowper Faithful Bird 4 Two goldfinches, whose sprightly song Had been their mutual solace long. 1876 Smiles Sc. Natur. xiii. (ed. 4) 270 The goldfinch is also a good singing bird. |
b. U.S. Applied to several small yellow finches, esp. Spinus tristis, the thistle-bird.
| 1858 Thoreau Winter 22 Dec. (1888) 6 There may be thirty goldfinches, very brisk and pretty tame. They hang, head downwards, on the weeds. |
c. dial. The yellow-hammer.
| 1848 in Evans Leicestersh. Words. |
2. A kind of artificial salmon-fly.
| 1867 F. Francis Angling x. (1880) 349 The Goldfinch. A very showy, striking fly. |
3. slang. † a. One who has plenty of gold. Obs.
| 1603 Dekker Wonderfull Yeare Wks. (Grosart) I. 112 Lazarus lay groning at euery mans doore: mary no Diues was within to send him a crum, (for all your Gold-finches were fled to the woods). 1609 ― Lanthorne & Candle-L. Wks. (Grosart) III. 222. a 1700 B. E. Dict. Cant. Crew, Gold-finch, he that has alwaies a Purse or Cod of Gold in his Fob. |
b. A gold coin; a guinea or sovereign.
| 1602 Middleton Blurt iv. i. F 2 a, If this Gold-finch, that with sweet notes flyes..Can worke. 1639 Shirley Gentl. Venice iii. i, Marcello, whom I employed..To my most costive uncle, for some goldfinches. 1780 Steevens Shaks. Plays. Suppl. II. 279 note, The vulgar still call our gold coins, gold-finches. 1828 Sporting Mag. XXI. 367 He was backed by a number of individuals not overburthened with goldfinches. 1842 Punch II. 168 Two Canaries = one Goldfinch. 1896 Pall Mall Mag. May 10 You've not a crown in your pocket, and ours a-bulging out with goldfinches. |