ˈcoal-tit, coal ˈtitmouse
[see coal-mouse, tit. After the corruption of col(e)mose to colemouse, the latter was often, for perspicuity's sake, expanded to coal-titmouse, which again has been recently shortened to coal-tit.]
A bird, the same as coal-mouse.
| [1657 S. Purchas Pol. Flying-Ins. 125, I mean the great Titmouse called a Colmouse. 1688 R. Holme Armoury ii. 243/1 The Bird Cole-Mouse..we in our Countrey call Tittimous or Mop.] 1777 Pennant Zool. (1812) I. 535 The head of the cole titmouse is black. 1795 Catal. Zoolog. Museum Oxford St. 16 Cole Titmouse. 1826 T. Bewick Brit. Birds (ed. 6) I. 278 Coal Titmouse. 1843 Penny Cycl. XXV. 3/2 The Great Tit..the Coal Tit..and the Bearded Tit are British. Ibid. The Coal-Titmouse..and the Marsh Titmouse all resort at times to buildings. 1845 Yarrell Brit. Birds (ed. 2) I. 369 Cole-Tit. |