purple grackle

noun

1. the eastern subspecies of the common grackle, Quiscalus quiscula, of North America, having an iridescent purple back.

Word History and Origins

Origin of purple grackle¹

An Americanism dating back to 1775–85

Example Sentences

So he talked, and Hertha, looking out over the lake to the tall trees, watched the purple grackles flying back and forth and wished that she did not have to decide so many things.

From Project Gutenberg

And through the outcry of the robins, the dry cackle of the purple grackles, and the cat-bird’s whine floated earthward the melody of the golden orioles.

From Project Gutenberg

The most destructive pest with which I have had to contend has been the large black-bird or purple grackle.

From Project Gutenberg

This huge nest of the fish-hawks was more than a nest; it was a castle in very truth, in the sheltering crevices of whose uneven walls a small community of purple grackles lived.

From Project Gutenberg

If the purple grackle does not like the sunflower seeds in my garden, lo! he is up and away across the Sound to Oyster Bay, Long Island, where his luck may be better.

From Project Gutenberg