magpie

• POS: Noun
• HYPHEN: mag=pie

CIDE DICTIONARY

magpie, 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.].

•  Any one of numerous species of the genus Pica and related genera, allied to the jays, but having a long graduated tail.  [1913 Webster]
•  Any one of several black-and-white birds, such as Gymnorhina tibicen, not belonging to the genus Pica.  [PJC]

  " The common European magpie (Pica pica, or Pica caudata) is a black and white noisy and mischievous bird. It can be taught to speak. The American magpie (Pica Hudsonica) is very similar. The yellow-belled magpie (Pica 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)."  [1913 Webster]
•  A talkative person; a chatterbox.  [PJC]

Magpie lark (Zoöl.), a common Australian bird (Grallina picata), conspicuously marked with black and white; -- called also little magpie. -- Magpie moth (Zoöl.), a black and white European geometrid moth (Abraxas grossulariata); the harlequin moth. Its larva feeds on currant and gooseberry bushes.

OXFORD DICTIONARY

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)

DEVIL DICTIONARY

magpie

n. A bird whose thievish disposition suggested to someone that it might be taught to talk.

THESAURUS

magpie

Audubon warbler, Canada goose, English sparrow, accumulator, adjutant bird, agreeable rattle, albatross, all sorts, argala, assemblage, assortment, auk, auklet, avocet, babbler, bald eagle, baldpate, bank swallow, barbet, barn owl, barn swallow, barnacle goose, big talker, bill collector, bittern, blab, blabber, blabberer, blabbermouth, blackbird, blackcap, blatherer, blue jay, booby, broad spectrum, bullfinch, bunting, bush wren, bushtit, butcher bird, buzzard, canary, canvasback, capercaillie, caracara, cardinal, cassowary, catbird, cattle egret, chaffinch, chat, chatterbox, chatterer, chewink, chickadee, chicken hawk, chimney swift, chipping sparrow, cliff swallow, cockatiel, cockatoo, collection agent, collector, condor, conglomeration, connoisseur, coot, cormorant, cowbird, crake, crane, creeper, crossbill, crow, cuckoo, curlew, cushat, dipper, dodo, douanier, dove, duck, dunlin, dunner, eagle, egret, eider duck, emu, erne, exciseman, falcon, farmer, finch, flamingo, flicker, flycatcher, frigate bird, fulmar, gabber, gabbler, gallimaufry, gannet, garganey, gasbag, gatherer, gibble-gabbler, goldeneye, goldfinch, goose, great talker, greylag goose, grosbeak, grouse, guillemot, guinea fowl, gull, gyrfalcon, harrier, hash, hawk, hawk owl, hermit thrush, heron, hobby, hodgepodge, honker, hoopoe, hoot owl, horned owl, hot-air artist, hotchpot, hotchpotch, house finch, house martin, hummingbird, ibis, idle chatterer, indigo bunting, jabberer, jackdaw, jay, jumble, junco, jungle fowl, kea, kestrel, killdee, killdeer, kingbird, kingfisher, kinglet, kite, kittiwake, kiwi, kookaburra, lammergeier, lapwing, lark, laughing jackass, linnet, loon, macaw, mallard, marabou, martin, mash, mavis, medley, melange, merganser, merl, mess, mew, mingle-mangle, miscellany, miser, mishmash, mix, mixed bag, mockingbird, moulin a paroles, mud hen, murre, mute swan, myna, myna bird, night-heron, nighthawk, nightingale, nightjar, nutcracker, nuthatch, odds and ends, olio, olla podrida, omnium-gatherum, oriole, ortolan, osprey, ostrich, ouzel, owl, oyster catcher, pack rat, parakeet, parrot, partridge, passenger pigeon, pasticcio, pastiche, patchwork, patterer, peafowl, peewee, pelican, penguin, petrel, phalarope, pheasant, phoebe, pigeon, plover, potpourri, prater, prattler, ptarmigan, puffin, rail, rattle, raven, razorbill, red grouse, redbird, redhead, redpoll, redshank, redstart, redwing, rhea, ring ouzel, ringdove, ringtail, robin, rook, ruddy duck, salad, salmagundi, sapsucker, sauce, scarlet tanager, scaup duck, scramble, screech owl, sea duck, sea eagle, sea gull, sea mew, sea swallow, secretary bird, sheldrake, shoebill, shoebird, shrike, siskin, snipe, snow bunting, snowbird, solan goose, song sparrow, song thrush, songbird, sparrow, sparrow hawk, spoonbill, sprig, starling, stew, stilt, stork, storm petrel, stormy petrel, swallow, swan, swan goose, swift, tanager, tax collector, teal, teal duck, tern, thrasher, thrush, tit, toucan, towhee, tragopan, tree swallow, trumpeter, turkey, turnstone, turtledove, veery, vulture, warbler, waxwing, weaver, weaverbird, what you will, whippoorwill, whistler, widgeon, wild duck, willet, windbag, windjammer, wood duck, wood owl, wood pigeon, woodcock, woodpecker, word-slinger, wren, wryneck, yellowbird, yellowhammer, yellowlegs, yellowthroat, zebra finch

ROGET THESAURUS

magpie

Loquacity

N loquacity, loquaciousness, talkativeness, garrulity, multiloquence, much speaking, jaw, gabble, jabber, chatter, prate, prattle, cackle, clack, twaddle, twattle, rattle, caquet, caquetterie, blabber, bavardage, bibble-babble, gibble-gabble, small talk, fluency, flippancy, volubility, flowing, tongue, flow of words, flux de bouche, flux de mots, copia verborum, cacoethes loquendi, furor loquendi, verbosity, gift of the gab, talker, chatterer, chatterbox, babbler, rattle, ranter, sermonizer, proser, driveler, blatherskite, gossip, magpie, jay, parrot, poll, Babel, moulin a paroles, loquacious, talkative, garrulous, linguacious, multiloquous, largiloquent, chattering, chatty, declamatory, open-mouthed, fluent, voluble, glib, flippant, long tongued, long winded, trippingly on the tongue, glibly, off the reel, the tongue running fast, the tongue running loose, the tongue running on wheels, all talk and no cider, foul whisperings are abroad, what a spendthrift is he of his tongue!.