Forms: 5 linet, 6 lenet, linnette, lynnet, 7–8 lennet, linot, 6– linnet. [a. OF. linette, linot, linotte (mod.F. linotte), f. lin flax, on the seeds of which the bird feeds. OE. had a línetwíge, whence LINTWHITE, and there is one example of línece, f. lín LINE sb.1, flax.]
1. A common and well-known song-bird, Linota (or Linaria) cannabina, of the family Fringillidæ. Its plumage is brown or warm grey; but in summer the breast and crown of the cock (when wild, not when caged) become crimson or rose-color. Allied species are the Mountain-Linnet or Twite (Linota flavirostris or L. montium) and the Lesser Redpoll (L. rufescens).
[c. 1050. Ags. Voc., in Wr.-Wülcker, 286/21. Cardella, linece.]
c. 1530. Crt. of Love, 1412. ‘What meneth this?’ Seid than the linet; ‘welcom Lord of blisse.’
1562. Turner, Herbal, II. 134 b. Men fede byrdes wyth the sede of it [sesamum] … namelye syskennes, and linnettes.
1604. Drayton, Owl, 109. Fie, quoth the Lennet, tripping on the Spray.
1631. Brathwait, Eng. Gentlew. (1641), 290. The shee-Lennet flew away and left the male alone.
1678. Ray, Willughby’s Ornith., 261. The Mountain Linnet: Linaria Montana.
1850. Tennyson, In Mem., xxvii. I envy not in any moods … The linnet born within the cage.
1893. Newton, Dict. Birds, 515. According to its sex, or the season of the year, it is known as the Red, Grey or Brown Linnet.
2. Applied, with qualifications, to birds of other genera. Green linnet, the greenfinch (see GREEN a. 12 b). Pine linnet, a siskin of N. America, Chrysomitris (or Spinus) pinus.
1868. Wood, Homes without H., xxix. 550. The Indigo Bird or Blue Linnet of America (Spiza cyanea).
1884. Burroughs, Fresh Fields, vi. (1895), 140. The greenfinch or green linnet is an abundant bird everywhere. Ibid. (1886), Signs & Seasons, ii. (1895), 41. The pine grosbeak and the pine linnet are both nurslings of this tree.
3. Mining. pl. Oxidized lead ores (Raymond, Mining Gloss., 1881).
4. attrib. and Comb., as linnet-bird, -finch; linnet-like adj.; linnet’s heads (see quot. 1727–52).
1570. Levins, Manip., 86/43. A Linnet bird, acanthis.
1598. Florio, Linária,… a Lenet-bird or Lack-backer.
c. 1650. Lovelace’s ‘To Althea,’ in Percy Fol., II. 20. When Lynett like confined [1649 Lucasta, 98 Like committed Linnets] I With shriller note shall sing.
1727–52. Chambers, Cycl., s.v. Teazel, The smaller kind [of teazles] sometimes called linnots heads, are used to draw out the knap from the coarser stuffs, as bays, &c.
1883. ‘Ouida,’ Wanda, I. 276. The sweet linnet-like voice of the Princess Ottilie came on her ear.
1890. Century Dict., Linnet-finch, same as linnet.
