Magpie

Magpie
Magpie Mag"pie, n. [OE. & Prov. E. magot pie, maggoty pie, fr. Mag, Maggot, equiv. to Margaret, and fr. F. Marquerite, and common name of the magpie. Marguerite is fr. L. margarita pearl, Gr. ?, prob. of Eastern origin. See {Pie} magpie, and cf. the analogous names {Tomtit}, and {Jackdaw}.] (Zo["o]l.) Any one of numerous species of the genus {Pica} and related genera, allied to the jays, but having a long graduated tail. [1913 Webster]

2. Any one of several black-and-white birds, such as {Gymnorhina tibicen}, not belonging to the genus {Pica}. [PJC]

Note: The common European magpie ({Pica pica}, or {Pica caudata}) is a black and white noisy and mischievous bird. It can be taught to speak. The American magpie ({Pica Hudsonica}) is very similar. The yellow-belled magpie ({Pica Nuttalli}) inhabits California. The blue magpie ({Cyanopolius Cooki}) inhabits Spain. Other allied species are found in Asia. The Tasmanian and Australian magpies are crow shrikes, as the white magpie ({Gymnorhina organicum}), the black magpie ({Strepera fuliginosa}), and the Australian magpie ({Cracticus picatus}). [1913 Webster]

3. A talkative person; a chatterbox. [PJC]

{Magpie lark} (Zo["o]l.), a common Australian bird ({Grallina picata}), conspicuously marked with black and white; -- called also {little magpie}.

{Magpie moth} (Zo["o]l.), a black and white European geometrid moth ({Abraxas grossulariata}); the harlequin moth. Its larva feeds on currant and gooseberry bushes. [1913 Webster]


The Collaborative International Dictionary of English. 2000.

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  • Magpie — (engl. für „Elster“) bezeichnet: Magpie (Québec), Dorf in der Gemeinde Rivière Saint Jean in der Regionalgemeinde Minganie, Québec, Kanada Rivière Magpie, Nebenfluss des Sankt Lorenz Stroms in Québec, Kanada Magpie River, Fluss zum Oberen See in… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Magpie — ( Pie bavarde en français) est un village du Québec, au Canada, située sur la Cote Nord, entre Rivière au Tonnerre et Rivière Saint Jean. Il est une localité dans la municipalité de Rivière Saint Jean. Magpie compte près de 200 habitants[1].… …   Wikipédia en Français

  • magpie — (n.) the common European bird, known for its chattering, c.1600, earlier simply pie (early 13c.); first element from MAG (Cf. Mag), nickname for Margaret, long used in proverbial and slang English for qualities associated generally with women,… …   Etymology dictionary

  • magpie — ► NOUN 1) a long tailed bird of the crow family with pied plumage and a raucous voice. 2) a black and white Australian butcher bird with musical calls. 3) a person who obsessively collects things or who chatters idly. ORIGIN probably a shortening …   English terms dictionary

  • magpie — [mag′pī΄] n. [< Mag, dim. of MARGARET + PIE3] 1. any of several jaylike corvids, passerine birds characterized by black and white coloring, a long, tapering tail, and a habit of noisy chattering 2. a person who chatters 3. a person who… …   English World dictionary

  • Magpie — This article is about the birds in the family Corvidae. For the Australasian bird in the family Artamidae, see Australian Magpie. For other uses, see Magpie (disambiguation). Magpies European Magpie …   Wikipedia

  • magpie — /mag puy /, n. 1. either of two corvine birds, Pica pica (black billed magpie), of Eurasia and North America, or P. nuttalli (yellow billed magpie), of California, having long, graduated tails, black and white plumage, and noisy, mischievous… …   Universalium

  • magpie — /ˈmægpaɪ / (say magpuy) noun 1. Also, Australian magpie. a common black and white bird, Gymnorhina tibicen, with a solid body, strong legs, and a large pointed bill, found throughout Australia and in New Guinea, and noted for its beautiful song… …  

  • magpie — [17] The original name of the magpie was simply pie, which came via Old French from Latin pīca. This is thought to go back ultimately to Indo European *spi or *pi , denoting ‘pointedness’, in reference to its beak (the Latin masculine form, pīcus …   The Hutchinson dictionary of word origins

  • magpie — [[t]mæ̱gpaɪ[/t]] magpies 1) N COUNT A magpie is a large black and white bird with a long tail. 2) N COUNT If you describe someone as a magpie, you mean that they like collecting and keeping things, often things that have little value. [INFORMAL]… …   English dictionary

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