Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun Any of several larks of the genus Alauda of Eurasia and Africa, especially A. arvensis, having brownish plumage and noted for singing while in flight.
  • intransitive verb To play actively and boisterously; frolic.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • To engage in boisterous fun or frolic.
  • noun The common lark of Europe, Alauda arvensis: so called because it mounts toward the sky and sings as it flies. Also called sky-laverock, rising-lark, field-lark, short-heeled lark, etc. The name extends to some other true larks, and also to a few of the pipits.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • noun (Zoöl.) A lark that mounts and sings as it files, especially the common species (Alauda arvensis) found in Europe and in some parts of Asia, and celebrated for its melodious song; -- called also sky laverock. See under lark.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun A small brown passerine bird, Alauda arvensis, that sings as it flies high into the air.
  • verb To jump about joyfully, frolic; to play around, play tricks.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • verb play boisterously
  • noun brown-speckled European lark noted for singing while hovering at a great height

Etymologies

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From sky +‎ lark.

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Examples

  • If It isn't a ticket that includes Hillary, I will vote for McCain skylark

    Three more superdelegates for Obama 2008

  • All country people know that the skylark is a very shy bird; that its abode is the open fields; that it settles on the ground only; that it seeks safety in the wideness of space; that it avoids enclosures, and is never seen in gardens.

    The Bed-Book of Happiness Harold Begbie 1900

  • In some ways the skylark is the sweetest singer we have; only certain of the thrushes rival it, but though the songs of the latter have perhaps even more melody, they are far from being as uninterrupted and well sustained, being rather a succession of broken bursts of music.

    VI. A Trip on the Prairie 1885

  • Shelley called skylark a blithe spirit because of its happy song.

    Recently Uploaded Slideshows 2010

  • BLITHE X CHEERLESS Meaning: Gay, joyous Usage: Shelley called skylark a blithe spirit because of its happy song.

    Recently Uploaded Slideshows tkjainbkn 2010

  • He proposed simple solutions such as skylark breeding plots, which farmers are already beginning to take up.

    Epolitix News 2009

  • Only a few other North American sparrows have ever been observed to "skylark".

    Mystery bird: Cassin's sparrow, Peucaea cassinii 2011

  • Somewhere overhead a skylark, the first I've heard this year, is singing.

    Country diary: South Uist 2011

  • The skylark finds its way into our art and into our music.

    Country diary: South Uist 2011

  • Bride: Though the skylark neither soars nor singsof a joy whose race is just beginning, I thee wed.

    Poems for a wedding 2011

Comments

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  • "Young man," said Bildad sternly, "thou art skylarking with me--explain thyself, thou young Hittite."

    - Melville, Moby-Dick, ch. 18

    July 24, 2008