Dictionary

butcherbird en · NOUN

Etymology

From butcher + bird, from its habit of hanging its prey.

Meanings

1. Any of the magpie-like birds in the genus Cracticus, of Australia and New Guinea.
   • A short way off, two male butcher birds, black and white like magpies, were calling antiphonally across a ravine. 1987, Bruce Chatwin, The Songlines, Vintage, published 1998, page 224:
   • A butcher bird has stirred, tuned its flute with a few preparatory notes. 1934, Henry G. Lamond, An Aviary On The Plains, page 47:
2. Any of the shrikes in the genus Lanius.
3. (South-Africa) Any of the shrikes in the genus Lanius. ▸ The fiscal shrike, Lanius collaris.

Forms

Deriveds

black butcherbird

Synonyms

shrike · red-backed shrike · red-backed shrike · Jacky Hangman · Jacky Hanger · Jacky Hangman · shrike · Jacky Hanger

Translations (10)

cmn 领伯劳 (fiscal shrike) · fr cassican (Cracticus) · wyi bilerd-mum (Cracticus) · de Krähenwürger (Cracticus) · tiw murrakupupunga (Cracticus) · ca carnisser (Cracticus) · xh inxanxadi (Cracticus) · rop bujabed (Cracticus) · wrz lopolopo (Cracticus) · fi huiluvaris (Cracticus)