meadowlark

American  

[med-oh-lahrk] / ˈmɛd oʊˌlɑrk /

noun

1. any of several American songbirds of the genus Sturnella, of the family Icteridae, especially S. magna eastern meadowlark and S. neglecta western meadowlark, having a brownish and black back and wings and a yellow breast, noted for their clear, tuneful song.

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meadowlark British  

/ ˈmɛdəʊˌlɑːk /

noun

1. either of two North American yellow-breasted songbirds, Sturnella magna ( eastern meadowlark ) or S. neglecta ( western meadowlark ): family Icteridae (American orioles)

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Etymology

Origin of meadowlark

First recorded in 1605–15; meadow + lark ¹

Example Sentences

Wind whipped through bitterbrush, competing with the sound of sparrow and meadowlark birdsong.

From Seattle Times • Jun. 16, 2023

Marilyn Meador, a retired nurse in Wichita Falls, Texas, noted that a teenager in Florida had suggested that a bird she had photographed was a Western meadowlark, because of the tail-feather pattern.

From New York Times • Dec. 9, 2022

The team wraps up the north at 9:36 A.M. with 124 species according to Zygmont, the keeper of the list, including the hard-won meadowlark, grouse and kinglet.

From Scientific American • Sep. 15, 2021

For Janssen, it was seeing a meadowlark flush in front of him as he rode his bike.

From Washington Times • May 2, 2015

Somewhere nearby a meadowlark and a redwing blackbird sang their bright, cheery songs.

From "In the Footsteps of Crazy Horse" by Joseph Marshall III