magpie

[ mag-pahy ]

/ ˈmægˌpaɪ /

SEE SYNONYMS FOR magpie ON THESAURUS.COM

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.

Words nearby magpie

magnus annus, magnus effect, magnus hitch, magog, magot, magpie, magpie goose, magpie lark, magpie moth, magr, magritte

Origin of magpie

1595–1605; Mag Margaret + pie²

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Examples from the Web for magpie

Television is a magpie, and it will take back to its stuffed nest whatever shiny things it can find.
The Fascist Historian and Me|Guy Walters|January 12, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Instead, he was more of a magpie, listening to what came before and incorporating it into his own inimitable music.
J.J. Cale, Dead at 74, Was a Songwriter Beyond Compare|Malcolm Jones|July 30, 2013|DAILY BEAST
And best of all, the empty chatter of the magpie Mrs. Hanway-Harley—who knows nothing, being a fool!
The President|Alfred Henry Lewis
On the following day the Magpie called for the kettle they had borrowed.
The Myths of the North American Indians|Lewis Spence

He let her slip to the ground, and then assisted her to mount Magpie, and thus they rode slowly back to camp.
Ted Strong in Montana|Edward C. Taylor
Then the magpie got angry and said: "One's enough, I tell you!"
Good Stories For Great Holidays|Frances Jenkins Olcott
On going up to the bush they discovered a magpie crouched among the leaves.
The Romany Rye|George Borrow

British Dictionary definitions for magpie

magpie

/ (ˈmæɡˌpaɪ) /

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 CracticidaeSee also butcherbird (def. 2)

any of various other similar or related birds

(often capital) a variety of domestic fancy pigeon typically having black-and-white markings

British a person who hoards small objects

a person who chatters

the outmost ring but one on a target
a shot that hits this ring

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 Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

magpie

noun

Words related to magpie

Words nearby magpie

Origin of magpie

Examples from the Web for magpie

British Dictionary definitions for magpie

noun

Word Origin for magpie