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mavis

[ mey-vis ]
/ ˈmeɪ vɪs /
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noun British (chiefly Literary).
a song thrush.
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Origin of mavis

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English mavys, from Anglo-French mauviz, probably equivalent to ma(u)ve “seagull” (from Old English mæw a small gull; see mew2) + -iz of unclear origin

Other definitions for mavis (2 of 2)

Mavis
[ mey-vis ]
/ ˈmeɪ vɪs /

noun
a female given name.
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use mavis in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for mavis

mavis
/ (ˈmeɪvɪs) /

noun
a popular name for the song thrush

Word Origin for mavis

C14: from Old French mauvis thrush; origin obscure
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
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