magpie

[ mag-pahy ]

noun

1. 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.
2. any of several related corvine birds.
3. any of several black-and-white birds not related to the true magpies, as Gymnorhina tibicen, of Australia.
4. an incessantly talkative person; noisy chatterer; chatterbox.
5. a person who collects or hoards things, especially indiscriminately.
6. Western U.S. a black-and-white cow or steer, as a Holstein.

magpie

/ ˈmæɡˌpaɪ /

noun

1. 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)
2. See butcherbird
   any of various similar birds of the Australian family Cracticidae See also butcherbird
3. any of various other similar or related birds
4. often capital a variety of domestic fancy pigeon typically having black-and-white markings
5. a person who hoards small objects
6. a person who chatters
7. 1. the outmost ring but one on a target
   2. a shot that hits this ring

Word History and Origins

Origin of magpie¹

1595–1605; Mag Margaret + pie ²

Word History and Origins

Origin of magpie¹

C17: from Mag diminutive of Margaret, used to signify a chatterbox + pie ²

Example Sentences

It also often explores the relationships that corvids—a family of birds including crows, magpies, and ravens—develop with human beings.

From MIT Technology Review

“I was sick of my life as it was,” Magpie remembers of the first half of the last decade.

From Outside Online

She’s depressed and isolating herself from her loved ones, but things start to change for the better once an injured baby magpie named Penguin is fatefully brought into her life.

From Time

Television is a magpie, and it will take back to its stuffed nest whatever shiny things it can find.

From The Daily Beast

Instead, he was more of a magpie, listening to what came before and incorporating it into his own inimitable music.

From The Daily Beast

Turn Up The Trustafarian Chic: As Tory Burch said of her collection, it's "American prep meets magpie traveler."

From The Daily Beast

But the latter caught him by the coat sleeve and held on while she chattered like a magpie to the young college man.

From Project Gutenberg

Could that be the wild beasts of which the magpie had warned him?

From Project Gutenberg

"She doesn't believe you, anyhow," said Lionel to the magpie.

From Project Gutenberg

The meadowlark was given a pleasing voice so that his songs would make the magpie ashamed.

From Project Gutenberg

Harakka, the Magpie, sitting on her nest among her fledglings began to feel nervous.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

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• orator