wax-eye
An Australian and New Zealand name for the silvereye (Zosterops lateralis), a small greenish bird with a distinctive white ring around each eye that gives it its appearance of having a wax or glass eye.
Definitions
An Australian and New Zealand name for the silvereye (Zosterops lateralis), a small greenish bird with a distinctive white ring around each eye that gives it its appearance of having a wax or glass eye. Wax-eyes are common garden birds in both countries, often visiting in flocks and feeding on fruit, nectar, and insects. The name is more common in New Zealand; Australians may also call them 'white-eyes.'
A wax-eye was working through the apple tree, pecking at the soft spots in the fruit.
Comments
(AU, NZ) A bird of the genus ; a silvereye.
Comments
Used in
Have a better definition?
Add your own interpretation of "wax-eye".
🇦🇺About Australian & NZ slang slang
Aussie and Kiwi vocabulary — bogan, daggy, brekkie, sheila, bach, jandals — the whole Antipodean lexicon, including outback dialect, surf and beach culture, and Sydney/Melbourne street slang.
See all Australian & NZ slang slang on Slangora.
Tags
Other words near "wax-eye" (W)
Browse all slang words starting with W.
Related terms
People also read
Semantically related
- tauhou68%
Tauhou is the Māori name for the silvereye (Zosterops lateralis), a small bird found throughout New Zealand. The name translates literally to 'stranger' or 'newcomer', reflecting the fact that silvereyes are believed to have self-introduced to New Zealand from Australia in the mid-19th century. The word is used in New Zealand English alongside 'silvereye', and is the preferred term in conservation and ecological contexts where Māori naming conventions are observed. The bird is recognisable by the distinctive white ring around its eye.
- tauhou59%
(New Zealand) A silvereye, a bird of species .
- whistlewing57%
(dated, North America) The common goldeneye.
- rattlewings56%
An archaic British dialectal name for the goldeneye duck, Bucephala clangula, named for the loud rattling sound the bird's wings make in flight. The goldeneye has several folk names across Europe that reference this characteristic sound. Used historically in hunting and birdwatching traditions.