tody

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to·dy

 (tō′dē)
n. pl. to·dies
Any of various small, mostly insectivorous birds of the genus Todus of the West Indies, having colorful, predominantly green plumage and a bright red throat.

[Probably from French todier, from New Latin Todus, genus name, from Latin *todus, assumed singular (used as the genus name for the todies by 18th-century naturalists) of plural todī, small birds of a certain kind.]
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

tody

(ˈtəʊdɪ)
n, pl -dies
(Animals) any small bird of the family Todidae of the Caribbean, having a red-and-green plumage and long straight bill: order Coraciiformes (kingfishers, etc)
[C18: from French todier, from Latin todus small bird]
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014
ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:
Noun1.tody - tiny insectivorous West Indian bird having red-and-green plumage and a long straight billtody - tiny insectivorous West Indian bird having red-and-green plumage and a long straight bill
coraciiform bird - chiefly short-legged arboreal nonpasserine birds that nest in holes
genus Todus, Todus - type genus of the Todidae
Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.
References in periodicals archive ?
Thus, for the educated people (whom he has absolutely no liking for) he uses the word toady, which he mispronounces as "Todies!" (7).
vociferus Wilson, whip-poor- I C will Chordeiles minor (Forster), I O common nighthawk Order Apodiformes (swifts and hummingbirds) Family Apodidae (swifts) Chaetura pelagica (Linnaeus), I A chimney swift Family Trochilidae (hummingbords) Archilochus colubris (Linnaeus), I C ruby-throated hummingbird Selasphorus rufus (Gmelin), I R rufous hummingbird Order Coraciiformes (todies, motmots, and kingfishers) Family Alcedinidae (kingfishers) Ceryle alcyon (Linnaeus), belted I O kingfisher Order Piciformes (woodpeckers and allies) Family Picidae (woodpeckers) Colaptes auratus (Linnaeus), I C northern flicker Dryocopus pileatus (Linnaeus), I O pileated woodpecker Melanerpes carolinus (Linnaeus), I C red-bellied woodspecker M.
The extremely small size (5-7 g) of todies, together with their taxonomic affinities (Order Coraciiformes) and tropical distribution, suggest that the thermoregulatory physiology of these birds merits detailed investigation.
Todies range in mass from [sim]5 g to 7 g (Kepler 1972, this study).
It might be expected that, like other coraciiforms, todies would also roost either communally or in cavities.
Additionally, morphological and physiological measurements from populations of todies living in different habitats were compared to examine the possibility of adaptive thermoregulatory modifications in response to climate.
Measures of mass, tarsus length, wing chord (unflattened), and active-phase body temperature ([T.sub.b]) were gathered from todies at several sites in Puerto Rico from 21 May through 30 July 1993, 1 October through 17 December 1994, and 1 June through 13 August 1995.
Adult todies were captured in mist nets between 1500 and 1730; sunset was at [sim]1720 in the winter and 1840 in the summer.
Only todies from the Luquillo site were used for the seasonal comparison of BMR and thermal conductance.
The oxygen consumption data available for some of the todies tested at a [T.sub.a] of 15[degrees]C show that individuals that became hypothermic (allowing [T.sub.b] to drop more than one standard deviation below 33.4[degrees] [pm] 1.4[degrees]C, the mean rest-phase [T.sub.b] in the presumed thermoneutral [T.sub.a] of 30[degrees]C) expended 28% less energy than did birds that maintained their [T.sub.b] at 33.4[degrees]C or higher (5.5 mL [O.sub.2][cdotp][g.sup.-1][cdotp][h.sup.-1], n = 2, vs.
The birds of the Antilles included one endemic family with five species, the todies (Todidae), whose relationships are unknown.
Frogmouths Batrachostomidae; Owlet Nightjars; Potoos; Eared Nightjars; Nightjars; Treeswifts; Swifts; Hummingbirds; Trogons; Kingfishers Alcedinidae; Kingfishers Dacebridae; Kingfishers Cerylidae; Todies; Motmots; Bee Eaters; Rollers; Ground Rollers; Cuckoo Rollers; Hoopoes; Woodhoopoes; Hornbills; Ground Horbills; Jacamars; Puffbirds; Asian Barbets; African Barbets; Amercian Barbets; Honeyguides; Toucans; Wood- peckers; New Zealand Wrens; Pittas; Broadbills; False Sunbirds; Woodcreepers; Furnarids; Antbirds; Antthrushes; Gnateaters.