scissortail

American

[siz-er-teyl] / ˈsɪz ərˌteɪl /

noun

Also called scissortailed flycatcher. a flycatcher, Muscivora forficatus, of the southern U.S., Mexico, and Central America, having a long, deeply forked tail.
any of various other birds having a long, forked tail.

Etymology

Origin of scissortail

First recorded in 1830–40; scissor(s) + tail ¹

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

On our first dip in the water, we saw a stunning array of fish ranging from yellow-striped snapper to blue iridescent scissortail damselfish.

From New York Times • Apr. 24, 2018

Smaller birds went skimming over the prairie,—now a golden meadowlark, then a darker scissortail snipping the air off behind it in swift flight.

From The Wrong Woman by Stewart, Charles D.

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023