n.
Pronunciation: ' shr ī k, esp Southern ' sr ī k
Function: noun
Etymology: perhaps from Middle English *shrik, from Old English scr ī c thrush; akin to Middle English shriken to shriek
Date: 1544
: any of numerous usually largely gray or brownish oscine birds (family Laniidae) that have a hooked bill, feed chiefly on insects, and often impale their prey on thorns
shrike