(1820-1910) British nurse credited with the founding of modern nursing. English nurse, the founder of nursing as a profession. She took a team of nurses to Scutari (now Üsküdar, Turkey) in 1854 and reduced the Crimean War hospital death rate from 42% to 2%. In 1856 she founded the Nightingale School and Home for Nurses in London.

ETYM Old Eng. nihtegale,nightingale, as. nihtegale; niht night + galan to sing, akin to Eng. yell; cf. Dutch nachtegaal, os. nahtigala, Old High Germ. nahtigala, German nachtigall, Swed. näktergal, Dan. nattergal. Related to Night, and Yell.
Songbird of the thrush family with a song of great beauty, heard at night as well as by day. About 16.5 cm/6.5 in long, it is dull brown, lighter below, with a reddish brown tail. It migrates to Europe and winters in Africa. It feeds on insects and small animals. It has a huge musical repertoire, built from about 900 melodic elements.
European songbird noted for its melodious nocturnal song; SYN. Luscinia megarhynchos. night-ingale.