~ 1
■ noun
1》 a songbird with brown streaky plumage, elongated hind claws, and a song that is delivered on the wing. [ Alauda arvensis ( sky~ ) and other species, family Alaudidae.]
↘used in names of similar birds of other families, e.g. meadow~ .
2》 informal a person who habitually gets up early. Often contrasted with owl .
Phrases
be up with the ~ Brit. get out of bed very early in the morning.
Origin
OE lāferce , lwerce ; of unknown ultimate origin.
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~ 2
informal
■ noun
1》 an amusing adventure or escapade.
2》 Brit. an activity regarded as foolish or a waste of time: he's serious about this music ~.
■ verb ( ~ about/around ) Brit. behave in a playful and mischievous way.
Derivatives
~iness noun
~y adjective
Origin
C19: perh. from dialect lake 'play', but cf. sky~ in the same sense, which is recorded earlier.