mavis

[ mey-vis ]

/ ˈmeɪ vɪs /

noun British (chiefly Literary ).

a song thrush.

Nearby words

Origin of mavis

1350–1400; Middle English mavys < Anglo-French mauviz, probably equivalent to ma(u)ve seagull (< Old English mæw mew²) + -iz of unclear orig.

Definition 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. 2019

Examples from the Web for mavis

The most astonishing came from Ron and Mavis Pirola, a middle-aged Australian couple who have been together for 57 years.
The Vatican's Same-Sex Synod: The Bishops Hear About Reality. Do They Listen?|Barbie Latza Nadeau|October 12, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Ryan Adams, Mavis Staples and Band of Horses are some of the artists to perform.
The Best Summer Music Festivals|Marina Watts|May 19, 2014|DAILY BEAST
“The marvellous thing about him was that he played it extremely cool,” Mavis said.
Week in Death: The Woman Who Cracked Hitler’s Codes|The Telegraph|November 17, 2013|DAILY BEAST
“He pretended he was just going to have the weekend off and made sure the Japanese spy would pass it all back,” Mavis recalled.
Week in Death: The Woman Who Cracked Hitler’s Codes|The Telegraph|November 17, 2013|DAILY BEAST

“It was a strange little outfit in the cottage,” Mavis said.
Week in Death: The Woman Who Cracked Hitler’s Codes|The Telegraph|November 17, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Mavis fingered them delicately as if they were priceless treasures.
A Fortunate Term|Angela Brazil
"It's a funny name, Vine-Pits," said Mavis, still making conversation.
The Devil's Garden|W. B. Maxwell
"Oh, I wouldn't go so far as to say that;" and Mavis smiled too.
The Devil's Garden|W. B. Maxwell
Mavis ceased to trouble herself with questions, and forgot that they remained unanswered.
The Devil's Garden|W. B. Maxwell
Mavis had gone down-stairs and published his sentence of banishment.
The Devil's Garden|W. B. Maxwell

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

Word Origin and History for mavis

mavis

"song thrush," c.1400, mavys, from Old French mauvis, of unknown origin; related to Spanish malvis. Breton milfid is a French loan word.