magpie

noun
/ˈmæɡˌpaɪ/

Etymology

From Mag, a nickname for Margaret that was used to denote a chatterer, + archaic pie (“magpie”), from Middle English pie, pye, from Old French pie, from Latin pīca, from Proto-Indo-European *(s)peyk- (“woodpecker, magpie”). Displaced native Old English agu (“magpie”) and Middle English aguster (“magpie”), whence English haggister.

  1. derived from *(s)peyk- — “woodpecker, magpie
  2. derived from pīca
  3. derived from pie
  4. inherited from pie

Definitions

  1. One of several kinds of bird in the family Corvidae, especially Pica pica.

  2. A superficially similar Australian bird, Gymnorhina tibicen, in the family Artamidae.

  3. Someone who displays a magpie-like quality such as hoarding or stealing objects.

    • Not only is Mr. Booker a voracious magpie (who does not always acknowledge the sources of his ideas), but he also turns out to be an annoyingly biased and didactic one.
  4. + 12 more definitions
    1. A fan or member of Newcastle United F.C.

    2. In the sport of fullbore target rifle, the third circle on a target, between the inner…

      In the sport of fullbore target rifle, the third circle on a target, between the inner and outer.

    3. A halfpenny.

    4. A pattern resembling the pied plumage of a magpie.

      • Kitty and I were engaged. The next day I met those accursed “magpie” Jhampanies at the back of Jakko, and, moved by some passing sentiment of pity, stopped to tell Mrs. Wessington everything.
      • The worst part of my experience in this magpie livery was yet to come, for I was to appear in it the next day at church.
    5. To mark with patches of black and white or light and dark.

      • The little rail-enclosed plots that lay between the pavements and the hotels were magpied with torn paper […]
      • […] she stood at the window and saw the lake blue with spring and a few patches of snow that magpied the hills.
      • […] they looked down upon Highmost Redmanhey, timber and plaster magpied by the moon, and a lamp in the window of the room where Susan lay.
    6. To steal or hoard (items) as magpies are believed to do.

      • “I had to borrow those photographs Aunt Nettie was storing in her closet.” “Isn’t that interesting?” May said. “I have to say, I never did understand why Mrs. Hatch asked me to magpie them out of the library.”
      • I have magpied from here and there, borrowing influences from Morocco, Greece, Italy and my notebooks to end up with a handful of easy little dishes that complement each other.
    7. To talk idly

      To talk idly; to talk about other people's private business.

      • He knew how people were magpieing with their malicious chatter that she had committed the cardinal sin of believing love was permanent […]
    8. Someone connected with Newcastle United Football Club, as a fan, player, coach, etc.

    9. Someone connected with Notts County Football Club, as a fan, player, coach, etc.

    10. Someone connected with Collingwood Football Club, as a fan, player, coach, etc.

    11. Someone connected with the Western Suburbs Magpies, as a fan, player, coach, etc.

    12. A town in the City of Ballarat, central western Victoria, Australia.

The neighborhood

Vish — recursive loop

No curated loop yet for magpie. Loops are being traced one word at a time while the ingestion pipeline matures.

sense glosses and etymology drawn from English Wiktionary · source · CC-BY-SA