mockingbird

[ mok-ing-burd ]

noun

1. any of several gray, black, and white songbirds of the genus Mimus, especially M. polyglottos, of the U.S. and Mexico, noted for their ability to mimic the songs of other birds.
2. any of various related or similar birds, as Melanotis caerulescens blue mockingbird, of Mexico.

mockingbird

/ ˈmɒkɪŋˌbɜːd /

noun

1. any American songbird of the family Mimidae, having a long tail and grey plumage: noted for their ability to mimic the song of other birds
2. a small scrub bird, Atrichornis rufescens , noted for its mimicry

Word History and Origins

Origin of mockingbird¹

1670–80, Americanism; mocking ( def ) + bird

Example Sentences

In 52 weekly entries, she sings the praises of clever crows and is heartened by the sight of blue jays and mockingbirds enjoying the heated birdbath she installed for them.

From Los Angeles Times

Everett started Wild Wings with his late wife Judy in 1978 after a neighbor had inadvertently tossed a nest containing three baby mockingbirds into a barrel along with a load of lawn trimmings.

From Los Angeles Times

They also recognized acorn woodpeckers, a California towhee, dozens of turkey vultures circling overhead, a dark-eyed junco, a mockingbird, an Anna’s hummingbird and a black phoebe.

From Los Angeles Times

“This started as a drawing and became a collage which I’ve just completed. It’s a mockingbird, and some of the pieces of paper are piano sheet music.”

From New York Times

She said in an op-ed in The Palm Beach Post that the mockingbird sings beautifully and gobbles up unwanted insects.

From Seattle Times