magpie
[ mag-pahy ]
/ ˈmægˌpaɪ /
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.
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Origin of magpie
1595–1605; Mag Margaret + pie2
Words nearby magpie
magnus annus, magnus effect, magnus hitch, magog, magot, magpie, magpie goose, magpie lark, magpie moth, magr, magritte
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020
Example sentences from the Web for magpie
British Dictionary definitions for magpie
magpie
/ (ˈmæɡˌpaɪ) /
noun
Word Origin for magpie
C17: from Mag diminutive of Margaret, used to signify a chatterbox + pie ²
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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