Shrike
/ʃɹaɪk/ noun
noun ·Rare ·Advanced level
Definitions
Noun
- 1 Any of various passerine birds of the family Laniidae which are known for their habit of catching other birds and small animals and impaling the uneaten portions of their bodies on thorns.
- 2 any of numerous Old World birds having a strong hooked bill that feed on smaller animals wordnet
Synonyms
All synonymsExample
More examples"The shrike can't harm us anymore."
Etymology
From Middle English *schrike, *schryke, from Old English sċrīc (“shrike, thrush”), from the same root as shriek and screech, named after the bird's cry. Compare Icelandic skríkja (“shrieker, shrike”), Swedish skrika (“jay”).