titmouse

• POS: Noun
• HYPHEN: tit=mouse

CIDE DICTIONARY

titmouse, n. [OE. titemose, titmase; tit small, or a small bird + AS. māse a kind of small bird; akin to D. mees a titmouse, G. meise, OHG. meisa, Icel. meisingr. The English form has been influenced by the unrelated word mouse. Cf. Tit a small bird.].

 Any one of numerous species of small insectivorous singing birds belonging to Parus and allied genera; -- called also tit, and tomtit.  [1913 Webster]
" The blue titmouse (Parus cœruleus), the marsh titmouse (Parus palustris), the crested titmouse (Parus cristatus), the great titmouse (Parus major), and the long tailed titmouse (Ægithalos caudatus), are the best-known European species. See Chickadee."  [1913 Webster]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

titmouse, n. (pl. titmice) any of various small tits, esp. of the genus Parus.

Etymology

ME titmose f. TIT(1) + OE mase titmouse, assim. to MOUSE