magpie

(magpī′)

noun

  1. any of several jaylike corvids, passerine birds characterized by black-and-white coloring, a long, tapering tail, and a habit of noisy chattering
  2. a person who chatters
  3. a person who collects odds and ends

Origin: < Mag, dim. of Margaret + pie

See magpie in American Heritage Dictionary 4

noun
  1. 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.
  2. Any of various birds resembling the magpie, such as the Australian bell magpie of the family Cracticidae.
  3. A person who chatters.
  4. 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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