# chickadee

> English word · Noun · IPA /ˈt͡ʃɪk.əˌdi/ · frequency rank #73,057

## Definitions
1. A small passerine bird (songbird) of the genus Parus or the family Paridae.
2. Affectionate term of address.

## Etymology
Apparent onomatopoeia from these birds' calls having a distinctive “chick-a-dee-dee-dee” sound, possibly influenced by chick or chicken.

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/chickadee