thrush

[ thruhsh ]

/ θrʌʃ /

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noun

any of numerous, medium-sized songbirds of the family Turdinae, usually dull brown and often speckled below, and including many outstanding singers.

any of various superficially similar birds, as the water thrushes.

Slang. a female professional singer, especially of popular songs.

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Origin of thrush

before 900; Middle English thrusche,Old English thrȳsce; cognate with Old High German drōsca

OTHER WORDS FROM thrush

thrushlike, adjective

Words nearby thrush

thrum-eyed, thrummy, thrump, thrupenny bit, thruppence, thrush, thrust, thrust augmentation, thrust bearing, thruster, thrust fault

Other definitions for thrush (2 of 2)

thrush²

[ thruhsh ]

/ θrʌʃ /

noun

Pathology. a disease, especially in children, characterized by whitish spots and ulcers on the membranes of the mouth, fauces, etc., caused by a parasitic fungus, Candida albicans.

Veterinary Pathology. (in horses) a diseased condition of the frog of the foot.

Origin of thrush

1655–65; akin to Danish tröske,Swedish torsk

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use thrush in a sentence

In 2020, a team documented a similar pattern in thrush nightingales, a robin-like songbird.
These fuzzy lemurs have a human-like ability to sing on beat|Philip Kiefer|October 26, 2021|Popular-Science
Its authors speculate that kombucha “may be very healthful” in combating yeast infections, thrush, and other forms of candidiasis.
Is Celebrity Favorite Kombucha Really a Health and Anti-Aging Cure?|Anneli Rufus|February 28, 2012|DAILY BEAST
In the fork of two high branches was a great round nest—oh ever so much bigger than the thrush's and the oriole's.
Seven O'Clock Stories|Robert Gordon Anderson
She was twelve years his senior but well preserved and "plump as a thrush after harvest."
Repertory Of The Comedie Humaine, Complete, A -- Z|Anatole Cerfberr and Jules Franois Christophe

As she worked, a wood thrush called far off, his last long-drawn note ringing like a sweet, wistful fairy horn.
The Idyl of Twin Fires|Walter Prichard Eaton
We walked on so together to the spot where we first had met, and where first the thrush had sounded for us his elfin clarion.
The Idyl of Twin Fires|Walter Prichard Eaton
A wood-thrush flitted from a ravine as she and Bub went back down the creek—and she stopped with uplifted face to listen.
The Trail of the Lonesome Pine|John Fox, Jr.

British Dictionary definitions for thrush (1 of 2)

thrush¹

/ (θrʌʃ) /

noun

any songbird of the subfamily Turdinae, esp those having a brown plumage with a spotted breast, such as the mistle thrush and song thrush: family MuscicapidaeCompare water thrush Related adjective: turdine

Word Origin for thrush

Old English thrӯsce; related to Old High German drōsca; see throstle, throat

British Dictionary definitions for thrush (2 of 2)

thrush²

/ (θrʌʃ) /

noun

a fungal disease of the mouth, esp of infants, and the genitals, characterized by the formation of whitish spots and caused by infection with the fungus Candida albicans
another word for sprue 1

a softening of the frog of a horse's hoof characterized by degeneration and a thick foul discharge

Word Origin for thrush

C17: related to Old Danish törsk, Danish troske

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

Scientific definitions for thrush

thrush

[ thrŭsh ]

An infectious disease, caused by the fungus Candida albicans, characterized by small whitish eruptions on the mouth, throat, and tongue, and sometimes accompanied by fever, colic, and diarrhea. Thrush is most often seen in infants, children, and people with impaired immune systems.

A degenerative condition of a horse's foot, usually caused by unhygienic management.