Main Entry: shrike

Pronunciation: \ˈshrīk, especially Southern ˈsrīk\

Function: noun

Etymology: perhaps from Middle English *shrik, from Old English scrīc thrush; akin to Middle English shriken to shriek

Date: 1544

: any of numerous usually largely gray or brownish oscine birds (family Laniidae) that have a hooked bill, feed chiefly on insects, and often impale their prey on thorns

[shrike illustration]