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chewink (chi-WINGK) - n., the eastern towhee (Pipilo erythrophthalmus).
The east in this case being of North America -- towhees being a kind of New World sparrow. Other towhees in the west of genera Pipilo and Melozone are not chewinks, because the name is imitative of one call of that species -- most towhees say "tow-hee!" and "drink your teeea!" but apparently only this one says "chew-ink!" The name is, needless to say, an Americanism, dating to around 1790.
---L.
The east in this case being of North America -- towhees being a kind of New World sparrow. Other towhees in the west of genera Pipilo and Melozone are not chewinks, because the name is imitative of one call of that species -- most towhees say "tow-hee!" and "drink your teeea!" but apparently only this one says "chew-ink!" The name is, needless to say, an Americanism, dating to around 1790.
---L.
