meadowlark

[ med-oh-lahrk ]

noun

1. any of several American songbirds of the genus Sturnella, of the family Icteridae, especially S. magna eastern meadowlark and S. neglecta western meadowlark, having a brownish and black back and wings and a yellow breast, noted for their clear, tuneful song.

meadowlark

/ ˈmɛdəʊˌlɑːk /

noun

1. either of two North American yellow-breasted songbirds, Sturnella magna ( eastern meadowlark ) or S. neglecta ( western meadowlark ): family Icteridae (American orioles)

Word History and Origins

Origin of meadowlark¹

First recorded in 1605–15; meadow + lark ¹

Example Sentences

Wind whipped through bitterbrush, competing with the sound of sparrow and meadowlark birdsong.

From Seattle Times

People might assume that sounding birdlike would mean these dinosaurs were tweeting like meadowlarks, Dr. Arbour said.

From New York Times

Marilyn Meador, a retired nurse in Wichita Falls, Texas, noted that a teenager in Florida had suggested that a bird she had photographed was a Western meadowlark, because of the tail-feather pattern.

From New York Times

Here remained a rugged, delicate beauty to be savored under open skies, accompanied by the song of meadowlarks.

From Seattle Times

With habitat loss, many animals have all but disappeared from the landscape, including the monarch butterfly, Eastern meadowlark and Bobwhite quail.

From Seattle Times