English Explanatory Dictionary

mockingbird

English dictionary entry

Meanings

noun
  1. Any of various long-tailed American songbirds of the genera Mimus and Melanotis, noted for their ability to mimic calls of other birds.
  2. Synonym of tui (“a species of honeyeater, Prosthemadera novaeseelandiae, a bird which is endemic to New Zealand”).

Pronunciation

/ˈmɒkɪŋbɜːd/ /ˈmɑkɪŋˌbɝd/ LL-Q1860 (eng)-Flame, not lame-mockingbird.wav

Word forms

mockingbird mockingbirds

Etymology

From mocking + bird, from the ability of the birds to mimic sounds and, in some cases, hum as a wake-up call.

Synonyms

mocker tui

Derived words

Bahama mockingbird blue-and-white mockingbird blue mockingbird brown-backed mockingbird chalk-browed mockingbird Charles mockingbird Mimus trifasciatus) Chatham mockingbird Chilean mockingbird Espanola mockingbird Floreana mockingbird Galapagos mockingbird Hood mockingbird long-tailed mockingbird northern mockingbird Patagonian mockingbird San Cristobal mockingbird Socorro mockingbird tropical mockingbird white-banded mockingbird
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