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magpie
(mag′pī′)
noun
- any of several jaylike corvids, passerine birds characterized by black-and-white coloring, a long, tapering tail, and a habit of noisy chattering
- a person who chatters
- a person who collects odds and ends
Origin: < Mag, dim. of Margaret + pie
See magpie in American Heritage Dictionary 4
noun
- 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.
- Any of various birds resembling the magpie, such as the Australian bell magpie of the family Cracticidae.
- A person who chatters.
- One who compulsively collects or hoards small objects.
Origin:
Origin: Mag, a name used in proverbs about chatterers (a nickname for Margaret)
Origin: + pie2
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