blackbird

American  

[blak-burd] / ˈblækˌbɜrd /

noun

1. a common European thrush, Turdus merula, the male of which is black with a yellow bill.

2. any of several American birds of the family Icteridae, having black plumage.

3. any of several other unrelated birds having black plumage in either or both sexes.

4. History/Historical. a person, especially a Pacific Islander, who was kidnapped and sold into slavery abroad, usually in Australia.

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verb (used with object)

1. to kidnap (a person), as in blackbirding.

verb (used without object)

1. to engage in blackbirding.

blackbird British  

/ ˈblækˌbɜːd /

noun

1. a common European thrush, Turdus merula , in which the male has a black plumage and yellow bill and the female is brown

2. any of various American orioles having a dark plumage, esp any of the genus Agelaius

3. history a person, esp a South Sea Islander, who was kidnapped and sold as a slave, esp in Australia

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verb

1. (tr) (formerly) to kidnap and sell into slavery

Etymology

Origin of blackbird

First recorded in 1480–90; earlier blacke bride; black, bird

Example Sentences

She has created large canvases, embellished formal gloves and a gown, and—most shockingly—a decorated taxidermied goat covered in a menagerie of stitched animals, including a mischievous red-winged blackbird and a cheery possum.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 3, 2025

New data shows Usutu has spread across much of southern England in five years, and has been linked to declines in some blackbird populations.

From BBC • May 14, 2025

His “spark bird,” at 9, was the red-winged blackbird, which flocked to his homemade bird feeder in his suburban Long Island yard.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 6, 2024

“We used to do clam digging and seal hunting and some blackbird hunting there,” says Kelly Rosales, historic preservation officer for the Hoh Tribe.

From Seattle Times • Jul. 28, 2023

Fortunately, most of the boys couldn’t hit the broad side of a barn—the closest rock sailed more than a foot over Jack’s head, almost taking out a large blackbird in one of the nearby trees.

From "Half Upon a Time" by James Riley