Bun"ting (&?;), n. [Scot. buntlin, corn-buntlin, OE. bunting, buntyle; of unknown origin.] (Zoöl.) A bird of the genus Emberiza, or of an allied genus, related to the finches and sparrows (family Fringillidæ).

&fist; Among European species are the common or corn bunting (Emberiza miliaria); the ortolan (E. hortulana); the cirl (E. cirlus); and the black-headed (Granitivora melanocephala). American species are the bay-winged or grass (Poöcætes or Poœcetes gramineus); the black- throated (Spiza Americana); the towhee bunting or chewink (Pipilo); the snow bunting (Plectrophanax nivalis); the rice bunting or bobolink, and others. See Ortolan, Chewick, Snow bunting, Lark bunting.

{ Bun"ting, Bun"tine } (&?;), n. [Prov. E. bunting sifting flour, OE. bonten to sift, hence prob. the material used for that purpose.] A thin woolen stuff, used chiefly for flags, colors, and ships' signals.

• (nautical) a thin cloth of woven wool from which flags are made; it is light enough to spread in a gentle wind but resistant to fraying in a strong wind
  
• flags considered as a group
  
• strips of material used as festive decoration, especially in the colours of the national flag
  
• any of various songbirds of the family Fringillidae having short bills and brown or gray plumage