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blackbird
[blak-burd]
noun
a common European thrush, Turdus merula, the male of which is black with a yellow bill.
any of several American birds of the family Icteridae, having black plumage.
any of several other unrelated birds having black plumage in either or both sexes.
History/Historical.a person, especially a Pacific Islander, who was kidnapped and sold into slavery abroad, usually in Australia.
verb (used with object)
to kidnap (a person), as in blackbirding.
verb (used without object)
to engage in blackbirding.
blackbird
/ ˈæˌɜː /
noun
a common European thrush, Turdus merula , in which the male has a black plumage and yellow bill and the female is brown
any of various American orioles having a dark plumage, esp any of the genus Agelaius
history a person, esp a South Sea Islander, who was kidnapped and sold as a slave, esp in Australia
verb
(tr) (formerly) to kidnap and sell into slavery
51Թ History and Origins
Origin of blackbird1
Example Sentences
Infected insects can spread the deadly Usutu virus to blackbirds, raising fears for the famous songsters.
The virus is spread through the bite of an infected mosquito and has affected blackbird populations.
Every morning, at this time of year, a red-winged blackbird greets me as I walk down the street.
The threatened Swainson’s hawk will lose 10 acres of foraging habitat with the project, and the tricolored blackbird relies on nearby areas for food and its nesting materials.
The wetland attracts birds, such as coots and tricolored blackbirds, and also recharges the aquifer that the roots of cottonwoods and willows tap into.
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