wagtail

[ wag-teyl ]

noun

1. any of numerous small, chiefly Old World birds of the family Motacillidae, having a slender body with a long, narrow tail tails that is habitually wagged up and down.
2. any of several similar birds, as the water thrushes of the genus Seiurus.

wagtail

/ ˈwæɡˌteɪl /

noun

1. any of various passerine songbirds of the genera Motacilla and Dendronanthus, of Eurasia and Africa, having a very long tail that wags when the bird walks: family Motacillidae

Word History and Origins

Origin of wagtail¹

First recorded in 1500–10; wag + tail ¹

Example Sentences

“The ballerina gialla,” Pira said, is the Italian name for the grey wagtail.

From Washington Post

Drama also erupted on the final day of round one voting after a nail-biting three-way tussle between the wedge-tailed eagle, the galah and the willie wagtail came down to a handful of write-in votes.

From The Guardian

With three hours left in the first round, a huge surge for both the eagle and galah meant the wagtail, in ninth, was suddenly at risk of dropping out of the top 10 altogether.

From The Guardian

Fraser spotted a gray wagtail hopping about in the undergrowth.

From The New Yorker

Brown is briefly seen stirring a cup of tea in The Prisoner of Azkaban, while Cocker portrayed Myron Wagtail, lead singer of The Weird Sisters, in The Goblet of Fire.

From BBC