merle

or merl

[murl]

noun Chiefly Scot.

the blackbird, Turdus merula.

Origin of merle

1350–1400; Middle English merule < Middle French < Latin merulus, merula ousel, blackbird

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for merl

Contemporary Examples of merl

Merl Reagle, otherwise known as “King of the Crossword,” knows exactly how you feel.
The Crossword Puzzle Turns 100: The ‘King of Crossword’ on Its Strange History
Kevin Fallon
December 21, 2013

Historical Examples of merl

Why, where on earth could you have made acquaintance with a man called Merl?
The Martins Of Cro' Martin, Vol. II (of II)
Charles James Lever
"Not in the least," said Merl, rising and stretching his legs.
The Martins Of Cro' Martin, Vol. II (of II)
Charles James Lever
"I tell you again, I'd not take it as a present," said Merl, half angrily.
The Martins Of Cro' Martin, Vol. II (of II)
Charles James Lever
"The man who can win at rouge-et-noir can do anything, in my opinion," said Merl.
The Martins Of Cro' Martin, Vol. II (of II)
Charles James Lever
Well, Merl, what do you say to Sir Spencer's taste in horseflesh?
The Martins Of Cro' Martin, Vol. II (of II)
Charles James Lever

British Dictionary definitions for merl

merle

merl

noun

Scot another name for the (European) blackbird

Word Origin for merle

C15: via Old French from Latin merula

merle

adjective

(of a dog, esp a collie) having a bluish-grey coat with speckles or streaks of blackOften called: blue merle

Word Origin for merle

C20: from dialect mirlet, mirly speckled

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 merl

merle

"blackbird," late 15c., from Old French merle "blackbird" (12c.), from Latin merulus "blackbird," from PIE *ams- "black, blackbird" (cf. Old English osle "blackbird;" see ouzel). The word owes its survival in modern times to its use by Scottish poets. The Latin word shows effects of rhotacism. It also is the source of Provençal and Spanish merla, Portuguese merlo, and Italian merla. Borrowed from French are Middle Dutch and German merle, Dutch meerle.