MAGPIE


Meaning of MAGPIE in English

/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 habits.

2. any of several related corvine birds.

3. any of several black-and-white birds not related to the true magpies, as Gymnorhina tibicen, of Australia.

4. an incessantly talkative person; noisy chatterer; chatterbox.

5. a person who collects or hoards things, esp. indiscriminately.

6. Western U.S. a black-and-white cow or steer, as a Holstein.

[ 1595-1605; Mag Margaret + PIE 2 ]

Random House Webster's Unabridged English dictionary.      Полный английский словарь Вебстер - Random House .