Pl. titmice. Forms: α. 4 titemose, 4–6 titmose, 5 tyte-, tetmose, tytmase, 6 tytmus. β. 6 tytmouse, 6–7 tytti-, tittimous(e, 7–9 titty-), 6– titmouse. ME. titmōse, f. TIT sb.3 3 + MOSE sb. a titmouse. In the 16th c., when mose had long been obsolete as an independent word, and in titmose had become stressless (cf. the form tytmus), it was interpreted as mouse, with pl. titmice. The smallness and quick mouse-like movements of the common species probably aided the corruption. Titty-mouse was app. a childish or rustic adaptation.]
1. A bird of the genus Parus or family Paridæ, comprising small active birds, of which numerous species are distributed over the northern hemisphere, several being common in Britain: see 2. (Now commonly shortened to tit: see TIT sb.3 3.)
α. c. 1325. Gloss. W. de Bibbesw., in Wright, Voc., 165 (Fr.), Musenge, a titemose.
c. 1400. Lydg., Flour Curtesye, 57. The sely wrenne, the titmose also.
c. 1425. Voc., in Wr.-Wülcker, 640/28. Nomina auium…. Hic frondator, tytmase.
c. 1440. Promp. Parv., 494/2. Tytemose, bryd, frondator.
c. 1475. Pict. Voc., in Wr.-Wülcker, 762/32. Hec agredula, a tetmose.
c. 1537. Thursytes, in Four O. Pl. (1848), 82. The tothe of the tytmus.
1570. Levins, Manip., 149/3. Titmose.
β. 1530. Palsgr., 281/2. Tytmouse a byrde, musangere.
1573–80. Baret, Alv., T 271. A Tittimous bird, fringillago.
1576. Gascoigne, Compl. Philomene, 26. Sometimes I wepe To see Tom Tyttimouse, so much set by.
1606. Sylvester, Du Bartas, II. iv. III. Magnif., 705. Finch, Linot, Tit-mouse, Wag-tail (Cock & Hen).
1655. Moufet & Bennet, Health’s Impr. (1746), 191. Titmice are of divers Shapes with us in England.
1688. R. Holme, Armoury, II. 243/1. The Bird Cole-Mouse … we in our Countrey call Tittimous or Mop.
1796. Morse, Amer. Geog., II. 259. A little species of titmouse.
1872. Coues, N. Amer. Birds, 80. The Titmice compose a natural and pretty well defined group.
2. With qualification, denoting various species of Parus or of the family Paridæ, as
Black-cap or black-headed titmouse, any species having black feathers on the head, as the COAL-TIT (Parus ater), the American CHICKADEE (P. atricapillus), or the marsh-titmouse; blue t., P. cæruleus, also called BLUE-CAP or NUN; coal t., P. ater (see COAL-TIT); crested t., Parus (Lophophanes) cristatus, or any species of the subgenus Lophophanes; fen t. = marsh t.; great t., Parus major, also called OX-EYE; long-tailed t., Acredula caudata; marsh t., Parus palustris; penduline t., Ægithalus pendulinus (see PENDULINE 1).
1609. Great titmouse (see COALMOUSE).
1611. Cotgr., Mesange à la longue queuē, the long-tayled Titmouse.
1668. Charleton, Onomast., 90. Parus Cristatus, the Crested, or Juniper Titmouse. Ibid., Parus Palustris … the Black Cap, or Fen-Titmouse.
1674. Ray, Collect., Eng. Birds, 87. The black-headed Titmouse: Parus ater. Ibid. The Marsh Titmouse: Parus palustris. Ibid., 88. The blew Titmouse: Parus cæruleus.
1713. Derham, Phys.-Theol., I. i. (1714), 5, note. I made … Experiments in compressed air,… one with the Great Titmouse, the other with a Sparrow.
1774. G. White, Selborne, xl. The titmouse, which early in February begins to make two quaint notes, like the whetting of a saw, is the marsh titmouse. Ibid., xli. The blue titmouse or nun is a great frequenter of houses, and a general devourer. Ibid. The blue, marsh, and great titmice will, in very severe weather, carry away barley and oat straws from the sides of ricks.
1858. Kingsley, Misc., Winter-gard., I. 146. That flock of long-tailed titmice, which were twinging and pecking about the fir-cones.
b. Bearded titmouse, a small bird (Panurus biarmicus), of doubtful affinity, frequenting reed-beds; also called reed-pheasant.
1848. [see reed-pheasant, REED sb.1 14].
1896. Newton, Dict. Birds, 969. The so-called ‘Bearded Titmouse,’… has habits wholly unlike those of any of the foregoing, and certainly does not belong to the Family Paridæ.
3. fig. A small, petty, or insignificant person or thing. Also attrib.
1598. Nashe, Saffron-Walden, Wks. (Grosart), III. 197. Noddy Nash,… his Apostrophe Sonnet, and tynie titmouse Lenuoy, like a welt at the edge of a garment.
1623. Middleton, More Dissemblers, III. i. You can keep a little tit-mouse page there.
1680. Otway, Caius Marius, V. xi. Nurse. Wake her? Poor Titmouse.
1691. Wood, Ath. Oxon., II. 446. In … Sept. 1658 … the Titmouse Prince called Richard was inaugurated to the Protectorate.
