starling |
American Heritage Dictionary (2 definitions)
- Any of various Old World passerine birds of the family Sturnidae, characteristically having a short tail, pointed wings, and dark, often iridescent plumage, especially Sturnus vulgaris, widely naturalized in North America.
- A protective structure of pilings surrounding a pier of a bridge.
–noun
Century Dictionary (6 definitions)
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An oscine passerine bird, of the family Sturnidæ and genus Sturnus, as S. vulgaris of Europe. The common starling or stare is one of the best-known of British birds. It is 8½ inches long when adult; black, of metallic luster, iridescing dark-green on some parts, and steel-blue, purplish, or violet on others, and variegated nearly throughout with pale-buff or whitish tips of the feathers. The wings and tail are duller-black, the exposed parts of the feathers frosted or silvered, with velvety-black and buff edgings. The bill is yellowish, and the feet are reddish. Immature, winter, and female birds are less lustrous, and more variegated with the ochery- or tawny-brown, and have the bill dark-colored. Starlings live much about buildings, and nest in holes of walls, crannies of rock, openings in hollow trees, etc. They are sociable and gregarious. sometimes going in large flocks. They are often caged, readily tamed, and may be taught to whistle tunes, and even to articulate words. The name starling is extended to all birds of the family Sturnidæ, and some others of the sturnoid series; also, erroneously, to the American birds of the family Icteridæ, sometimes known collectively as American starlings. The last belong to a different series, having only nine primaries, etc. The bird with which the name is specially connected in this sense is Agelæus phœniceus, the common marsh-blackbird, often called red-winged starling. The name of meadow-starling is often applied to Sturnella magna. See also cuts under
Agelæinæ and meadow-lark. - An obsolete form of sterling.
- In hydraulic engineering, an inclosure like a coffer-dam, formed of piles driven closely together, before any work or structure as a protection against the wash of the waves. A supplementary structure of the same kind placed before a starling to resist ice is called a fore-starling. See cut under ice-apron.
- One of a breed of domestic pigeons which in color resemble the starling.
- One of the piles used in forming such a breakwater.
- Same as rock-trout,2.
–noun
GNU Webster's 1913 (3 definitions)
WordNet (1 definition)
Elsewhere on the web
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- "Anyone who thinks a starling is a pest just don't know anything about how a starling thinks" or something like that.—More Than Human
We know, in fact, that the starling is our greatest mimic, and that he often succeeds in recognizable reproductions of single notes, of phrases, and occasionally of entire songs, as, for instance, that of the blackbird.
Thirteen species are endemic to the ecoregion, including the Truk monarch (Metabolus rugensis), the Pohnpei fantail (Rhipidura kubaryi), the Pohnpei mountain starling (Aplonis pelzeni), and the Pohnpei lory (Trichoglossus rubiginosus).
The adult metallic starling is remarkable for the colour and lustre of its eyes, which are ruby-red and glitter gem-like.
As a matter of fact, we think a talking starling is much more wonderful than an ordinary starling.
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Pronunciations
/ (stärˈlĭng)/
ahd pronounces "starling"
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Etymology
American Heritage Dictionary (2)
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Middle English, from Old English stærlinc : stær, starling + -linc, noun suff.; see -ling1.
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Perhaps alteration of Middle English stadelinge, from stathel, foundation, from Old English stathol; see stā- in Indo-European roots.
Century Dictionary
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