lyrebird

[ lahyuh r-burd ]

/ ˈlaɪərˌbɜrd /

noun

an Australian passerine bird of the genus Menura, the male of which has a long tail that is lyrate when spread.

Nearby words

lyrate, lyre, lyre back, lyre snake, lyre-form sofa, lyrebird, lyric, lyrical, lyricism, lyricist, lyricize

Origin of lyrebird

First recorded in 1825–35; lyre + bird

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

British Dictionary definitions for lyrebird

lyrebird

/ (ˈlaɪəˌbɜːd) /

noun

either of two pheasant-like Australian birds, Menura superba and M. alberti, constituting the family Menuridae: during courtship displays, the male spreads its tail into the shape of a lyre

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012