Definitions, Translations, and Word of the Day
Definition of "magpie" []
- Any of various birds of the family Corvidae found worldwide, having a long graduated tail and black, blue, or green plumage with white markings and noted for their chattering call. The species Pica pica, the black-billed magpie, is widespread in the Northern Hemisphere. Also called pie2. (noun)
- Any of various birds resembling the magpie, such as the Australian bell magpie of the family Cracticidae. (noun)
- A person who chatters. (noun)
- One who compulsively collects or hoards small objects. (noun)
American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Use "magpie" in a sentence
- "And I've written now five new life poems, and I'm going to read you one of what I call magpie translations, because the magpie is a thief, and I'm appropriating Joseph Brodsky's imagery, but making it my own."
- "Storm teased her over what he termed her magpie mind, which picked up snippets of information to store for future airing."
- "GRANT: The magpie is quiet, so Jess Relton asks a favor."