starling

1
[ stahr-ling ]

noun
  1. a chunky, medium-sized European passerine bird, Sturnus vulgaris, of iridescent black plumage with seasonal speckles, that nests in colonies: introduced into North America.

  2. any of various similar Old World birds of the family Sturnidae.

Origin of starling

1
before 1050; Middle English; Old English stærling, equivalent to stær starling (cognate with Old High German stara,Old Norse stari) + -ling-ling1; akin to Old English stearn kind of bird, Latin sturnus starling

Words Nearby starling

Other definitions for starling (2 of 2)

starling2
[ stahr-ling ]

noun
  1. a pointed cluster of pilings for protecting a bridge pier from drifting ice, debris, etc.

Origin of starling

2
First recorded in 1675–85; origin uncertain

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How to use starling in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for starling (1 of 3)

starling1

/ (ˈstɑːlɪŋ) /


noun
  1. any gregarious passerine songbird of the Old World family Sturnidae, esp Sturnus vulgaris, which has a blackish plumage and a short tail

Origin of starling

1
Old English stærlinc, from stær starling (related to Icelandic stari) + -line -ling 1

British Dictionary definitions for starling (2 of 3)

starling2

/ (ˈstɑːlɪŋ) /


noun
  1. an arrangement of piles that surround a pier of a bridge to protect it from debris, etc

Origin of starling

2
C17: probably changed from staddling, from staddle

British Dictionary definitions for Starling (3 of 3)

Starling

/ (ˈstɑːlɪŋ) /


noun
  1. Ernest Henry . 1866–1927, British physiologist, who contributed greatly to the understanding of many bodily functions and with William Bayliss (1860–1924) discovered the hormone secretin (1902)

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