TITMOUSE

[tit.mouse] n, pl tit.mice [by folk etymology fr. ME titmose, fr. (assumed) ME tit any small object or creature + ME mose titmouse, fr. OE mase; akin to OHG meisa titmouse] (14c): any of numerous small widely distributed insectivorous oscine birds (family Paridae and esp. genus Parus) that are related to the chickadees and have small bills and relatively long tails