magpie
n 1: long-tailed black-and-white crow that utters a raucous
chattering call
2: someone who collects things that have been discarded by
others [syn: magpie, scavenger, pack rat]
3: an obnoxious and foolish and loquacious talker [syn:
chatterer, babbler, prater, chatterbox, magpie,
spouter]
magpie I. nounEtymology:Mag (nickname for Margaret) +
1pieDate: 1598 1. any of various birds
(especially Pica pica) related to the jays but having a long graduated
tail and black-and-white or brightly colored plumage 2. a person
who chatters noisily 3. one who collects indiscriminately
II. adjectiveDate: 1796 1. collected
indiscriminately ;miscellaneous <magpie compilations of
unrelated tidbits — Helen R. Cross> 2. given to indiscriminate
collecting ;acquisitive <what possible magpie instinct
had impelled me to retain them — S. J. Perelman>
magpie n. 1 a European and American crow, Pica pica, with a long pointed tail and black and white plumage. 2 any of various birds with plumage like a magpie, esp. Gymnorhina tibicen of
Australia. 3 an idle chatterer. 4 a person who collects things indiscriminately. 5 a the division of a circular target next to the outer one. b a rifle shot which strikes
this. Etymology: Mag, abbr. of Margaret + PIE(2)
magpie
ˈmæɡpaɪ n. 1 a European and American crow, Pica pica, with a long
pointed tail and black and white plumage. 2 any of various birds with plumage
like a magpie, esp. Gymnorhina tibicen of Australia. 3 an idle chatterer. 4 a
person who collects things indiscriminately. 5 a the division of a circular
target next to the outer one. b a rifle shot which strikes this. [Mag,
abbr. of Margaret + PIE(2)]
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.
Note: The common European magpie ({Pica pica}, or P.
caudata}) is a black and white noisy and mischievous
bird. It can be taught to speak. The American magpie
({P. Hudsonica}) is very similar. The yellow-belled
magpie ({P. 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}).
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.
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