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magpie
[ mag-pahy ]
noun
- either of two corvine birds, Pica pica black-billed magpie, of Eurasia and North America, or P. nuttalli yellow-billed magpie, of California, having long, graduated tails, black-and-white plumage, and noisy, mischievous habits.
- any of several related corvine birds.
- any of several black-and-white birds not related to the true magpies, as Gymnorhina tibicen, of Australia.
- an incessantly talkative person; noisy chatterer; chatterbox.
- a person who collects or hoards things, especially indiscriminately.
- Western U.S. a black-and-white cow or steer, as a Holstein.
magpie
/ ˈæɡˌ貹ɪ /
noun
- any of various passerine birds of the genus Pica, esp P. pica, having a black-and-white plumage, long tail, and a chattering call: family Corvidae (crows, etc)
- any of various similar birds of the Australian family Cracticidae See also butcherbird
- any of various other similar or related birds
- often capital a variety of domestic fancy pigeon typically having black-and-white markings
- a person who hoards small objects
- a person who chatters
- the outmost ring but one on a target
- a shot that hits this ring
51Թ History and Origins
Origin of magpie1
Example Sentences
John said when he left the house this morning he saw two magpies.
There are a number of cultural quirks which mean Cabanagate has Australians more worked up than a magpie in spring.
“I never know what I like but I really know what I don’t like. My fingertips squeal when they don’t like the fabric. It’s a bit of a magpie process.”
But he adds that G. newtoni’s skull also has some parts that resemble skulls of other birds, such as the magpie goose, so “the situation is not so simple.”
Dr Ben Beska, 33, from Newcastle, said he saw a group of magpies squawking in his garden on Saturday and went out to investigate when he spotted the fish lying in the grass.
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