veery (English)

Where does "veery" come from?

The English noun 'veery' is an American thrush common in the Northern United States and Canada[1]. The word is probably imitative of the bird's call, and it has been attested since the 19th century[1].

Open questions

• The derivation of the word as imitative of the bird call is described as probable rather than certain. [1]

Full etymology tree

• veery (English), 'An American thrush (Catharus fuscescens) common in the Northern United States and Canada.'
  • derived imitative (English), 'Imitating; copying; not original.'

Sources

1. veery (English) - Wiktionary

Updated August 2026

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Etymology data from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0 · About Miraris