/em'beuh ruy"zin, -zuyn/ , Ornith.
adj.
1. belonging or pertaining to the subfamily Emberizinae, comprising the buntings, New World sparrows, and related birds.
n.
2. an emberizine bird.
[ Emberizinae, equiv. to Emberiz ( a ) the bunting genus ( Ämerzen, Imbrütze; OHG amarzo, amirzo, hypocoristic forms of amaro ( > G Ammer bunting), short for * amarofogal lit., emmer-bird; see EMMER, YELLOWHAMMER) + -inae -INAE ]