chickadee

1. A small, black-and-white North American bird of the genus Parus, most commonly Parus atricapillus. It is most active in cool weather, and seldom seen in summer except in deep forests. It often has little fear of humans. Named for its call, which often sounds like Chick-a-dee-dee-dee. The number of "dee" syllables on the end depends on the situation. More than three usually indicates that something startled the bird. 2. A chiefly Canadian term of familiar or affectionate address to a girl or young woman; apparently derived from a Mexican Spanish phrase composed of the word chica(girl) and an adjectival starting with the preposition "de"; the original phrase was forgotten because Spanish is not commonly spoken in Canada, and the spelling was conformed to that of the bird. Only known and used in certain areas.