linnet

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition

1. n. A small Old World finch (Carduelis cannabina) having brownish plumage.
2. n. A similar bird (Carpodacus mexicanus) of Mexico and the western United States. Also called house finch.

Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia

1. n. A small songbird, Linaria or Linota cannabina, of the family Fringillidæ, inhabiting parts of Europe, Asia, and Africa. It is about inches long, and in extent of wings. The plumage is streaked with various gray, brown, and flaxen shades; the male in summer has the poll and breast rosy or red. The linnet is called gray, brown, and red or rose, according to sex and season; it has also many local or dialectal names. The yellow-billed linnet, mountain-linnet, or twite is another species of the same genus. L. flavirostris or L. montium. There are yet other species, and sundry related birds also are called linnets, as the redpolls of the genus Ægiothus. The bird called pine-linnet or pine-finch in the United States is a siskin, Chrysomitris pinus.
2. n. An ore which contains phosphate intermixed with carbonate of lead in variable proportions: so called on account of the linnet-like color due to the presence of the phosphate.

Wiktionary

1. n. A small passerine bird, Carduelis cannabina in the finch family Fringillidae that derives its scientific name from its fondness for hemp, and its English name from its liking for seeds of flax, from which linen is made.

GNU Webster's 1913

1. n. (Zoöl.) Any one of several species of fringilline birds of the genera Linota, Acanthis, and allied genera, esp. the common European species (Linota cannabina), which, in full summer plumage, is chestnut brown above, with the breast more or less crimson. The feathers of its head are grayish brown, tipped with crimson. Called also gray linnet, red linnet, rose linnet, brown linnet, lintie, lintwhite, gorse thatcher, linnet finch, and greater redpoll. The American redpoll linnet (Acanthis linaria) often has the crown and throat rosy. See redpoll, and twite.

WordNet 3.0

1. n. small Old World finch whose male has a red breast and forehead
2. n. small finch originally of the western United States and Mexico