Magpie

Magpie , noun

[Old English & Prov. English magot pie, maggoty pie, from Mag, Maggot, equiv. to Margaret, and from French Marquerite, and common name of the magpie. Marguerite is from Latin margarita pearl, Greek {not transcribed}, prob. of Eastern origin. See Pie magpie, and compare the analogous names Tomtit, and Jackdaw.]

(Zoology) Any one of numerous species of the genus Pica and related genera, allied to the jays, but having a long graduated tail.

Any one of several black-and-white birds, such as Gymnorhina tibicen, not belonging to the genus Pica.

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).

A talkative person; a chatterbox.

Collocations (2)

Magpie lark (Zoology) , a common Australian bird (Grallina picata), conspicuously marked with black and white; -- called also little magpie.

Magpie moth (Zoology) , a black and white European geometrid moth (Abraxas grossulariata); the harlequin moth. Its larva feeds on currant and gooseberry bushes.