merle

or merl

[ murl ]

/ mɜrl /

noun Chiefly Scot.

the blackbird, Turdus merula.

Nearby words

Origin of merle

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

merle

[ murl ]

/ mɜrl /

noun

a bluish gray color mottled with black.

adjective

being the color merle.

Origin of merle

First recorded in 1900–05; origin uncertain

Merle

[ murl ]

/ mɜrl /

noun

a male or female given name.

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

Examples from the Web for merle

The stars kept coming: Bing Crosby, Gary Cooper, Merle Oberon.
The Rise of the Malibu Movie Colony|Michele Willens|April 29, 2014|DAILY BEAST
And, perhaps most heartbreakingly, Merle died trying to take out the Governor on his own.
A Primer For ‘The Walking Dead’ Season Four Premiere|Melissa Leon|October 11, 2013|DAILY BEAST
I realize now that this story was a major influence on the Merle Zane character in the Niceville series.
Carsten Stroud’s Book Bag: My Top Five Horror Classics|Carsten Stroud|July 23, 2013|DAILY BEAST
You hear it in Hank Williams Sr., Merle Haggard, early Dolly Parton, and you hear it in George Jones.
George Jones Would Break Your Heart Every Time|Malcolm Jones|April 26, 2013|DAILY BEAST

Cooper was a minor actor who initially wanted to do the life story of Merle Haggard.
Jeff Bridges' Crazy Inspiration|Kim Masters|December 15, 2009|DAILY BEAST
Then came to the comfortable conclusion that perhaps Merle had noticed nothing.
Twos and Threes|G. B. Stern
"Give me your cap," she said, and into Merle's cap spurted a torrent of coins.
The Wrong Twin|Harry Leon Wilson
One evening in the late autumn Merle was sitting at home waiting for her husband.
The Great Hunger|Johan Bojer
At which Merle flung herself back among the pillows, both hands pressed tightly to her forehead.
Twos and Threes|G. B. Stern
Madame Merle, holding her hand, drew it across her own fine palm and looked at it.
The Portrait of a Lady|Henry James

British Dictionary definitions for merle

merle

merl

/ (mɜːl, Scottish mɛrl) /

noun

Scot another name for the (European) blackbird

Word Origin for merle

C15: via Old French from Latin merula

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 merle

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.