# linnet

> English word · Noun · IPA /ˈlɪnɪt/ · frequency rank #82,491

## Definitions
1. A small passerine bird, the common linnet (Linaria cannabina syn. Carduelis cannabina), in the finch family Fringillidae, native to Europe, western Asia, and north Africa.
2. A house finch (Haemorhous mexicanus), of North America.

## Etymology
From Old French linette, from lin (“flax”), from the bird's fondness for the seeds of flax, the source of linen and Old English līnete, līnetwige (“linnet”) (> dialectal English lintwhite).

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