starling

¹ American  

[stahr-ling] / ˈstɑr lɪŋ /

noun

1. a chunky, medium-sized European passerine bird, Sturnus vulgaris, of iridescent black plumage with seasonal speckles, that nests in colonies: introduced into North America.

2. any of various similar Old World birds of the family Sturnidae.

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starling ² American  

[stahr-ling] / ˈstɑr lɪŋ /

noun

1. a pointed cluster of pilings for protecting a bridge pier from drifting ice, debris, etc.

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Starling ¹ British  

/ ˈstɑːlɪŋ /

noun

1. Ernest Henry . 1866–1927, British physiologist, who contributed greatly to the understanding of many bodily functions and with William Bayliss (1860–1924) discovered the hormone secretin (1902)

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starling ² British  

/ ˈstɑːlɪŋ /

noun

1. any gregarious passerine songbird of the Old World family Sturnidae , esp Sturnus vulgaris , which has a blackish plumage and a short tail

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starling ³ British  

/ ˈstɑːlɪŋ /

noun

1. an arrangement of piles that surround a pier of a bridge to protect it from debris, etc

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Etymology

Origin of starling¹

before 1050; Middle English; Old English stærling, equivalent to stær starling (cognate with Old High German stara, Old Norse stari ) + -ling -ling ¹; akin to Old English stearn kind of bird, Latin sturnus starling

Origin of starling²

First recorded in 1675–85; origin uncertain

Example Sentences

One of the birds was a mourning dove and the other a European starling.

From Los Angeles Times • May 14, 2025

Royall continues: "These include schools of other fish such as goldfish or sardines, as well as flocks of birds such as starling murmurations and swarms of insects such as dancing mosquitos."

From Science Daily • Mar. 25, 2024

But the starling has not been so fortunate.

From BBC • Jan. 25, 2024

On a recent Thursday afternoon, the actress Keri Russell paused in a corner of Brooklyn Bridge Park to admire a starling.

From New York Times • Apr. 18, 2023

Light goes the weather-wind and the feathered starling.

From "The Fellowship of the Ring" by J.R.R. Tolkien