Dictionary

catbird en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• /ˈkatbɜːd/ (Received-Pronunciation)
• /ˈkatbɝd/ (General-American)

Etymology

From cat + bird, because its cry is said to resemble that of a cat.

Meanings

1. An American passerine bird of the genera Dumetella and Melanoptila.
   • I recall a catbird high in the water oak above, swinging like a rag amid the branches, jabbering and screeching [...]. 1967, William Styron, The Confessions of Nat Turner, Vintage, published 2004, page 200:
   • The catbird’s note exactly resembles the voice of a kitten, that a stranger to it would instantly conclude that such an animal "had got bewildered in the branches". 1832, Sharon Turner, The Sacred History of the World:
2. Any of four species of Australasian bowerbirds of the genera Ailuroedus and Scenopoeetes.
   • The cat bird had a forlorn cry, like a whimpering child or the animal it is named for. 1985, Peter Carey, Illywhacker, Faber and Faber, published 2003, page 185:
3. A babbler-like bird from eastern Africa, Parophasma galinieri.

Forms

Deriveds

catbird seat · catbird grape · spotted catbird · gray catbird · white-eared catbird · tan-capped catbird · green catbird · ochre-breasted catbird · black-eared catbird

Relateds

Dumetella carolinensis · Melanoptila glabrirostris · Parophasma galinieri · Scenopoeetes · Ailuroedus

Translations (1)

unm chuwiyu (American mimids)