goldfinch

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition

1. n. Any of several small American finches of the genus Carduelis, especially C. tristis, of which the male has yellow plumage with a black forehead, wings, and tail.
2. n. A small Eurasian finch (Carduelis carduelis) having brownish plumage with black wings boldly marked with yellow and a red patch across the face.

Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia

1. n. An elegant European siskin or thistle-bird, Carduelis elegans, of the family Fringillidæ, having wings conspicuously marked with yellow, and a crimson face.
2. n. The American thistle-bird, Chrysomitris tristis, of the family Fringillidæ, having a yellow body, with black cap, wings, and tail, the latter marked also with white.
3. n. Some finch like or likened to either of the above, as the Arkansan goldfinch, Chry-somitris psaltria.
4. n. The yellow bunting, Emberiza citrinella: a misnomer.
5. n. A gold piece; a sovereign.
6. n. In angling, the name of an artificial salmon-fly.

Wiktionary

1. n. A small passerine bird of the finch family; the European goldfinch, Carduelis carduelis, the American goldfinch, Carduelis tristis, Lawrence's Goldfinch, Carduelis lawrencei, or the lesser goldfinch, Carduelis psaltria.

GNU Webster's 1913

1. n. A beautiful bright-colored European finch (Carduelis elegans). The name refers to the large patch of yellow on the wings. The front of the head and throat are bright red; the nape, with part of the wings and tail, black; -- called also goldspink, goldie, fool's coat, drawbird, draw-water, thistle finch, and sweet William.
2. n. The yellow-hammer.
3. n. A small American finch (Spinus tristis); the thistle bird.

WordNet 3.0

1. n. American finch whose male has yellow body plumage in summer
2. n. small European finch having a crimson face and yellow-and-black wings