blackbird

noun

black·bird | \ˈblak-ˌbərd

Definition of blackbird

(Entry 1 of 2)

1 : any of various birds of which the males are largely or entirely black: such as

a : a common thrush (Turdus merula) of Eurasia and northern Africa having an orange bill and eye rim

b : any of several American oscine birds (family Icteridae)

2 : a Pacific islander kidnapped for use as a plantation laborer

blackbird

verb

blackbirded; blackbirding; blackbirds

Definition of blackbird (Entry 2 of 2)

intransitive verb

: to engage in the slave trade especially in the South Pacific

Examples of blackbird in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

New arrivals included one rusty blackbird, two snowy egrets, and 18 northern shovelers. — BostonGlobe.com, "Bird sightings in Massachusetts," 21 Apr. 2018 Swallows, gulls and terns, crows, blackbirds and orioles, tyrant flycatchers and parids—all practice mobbing. — Lance Morrow, WSJ, "Political Harassment Is for the Birds," 6 July 2018 The scientists also reversed the scenario, dropping host eggs from wrens, mockingbirds, and blackbirds onto cowbird eggs. — Erica Tennenhouse, Science | AAAS, "Cowbird eggshells could double as deadly weapons," 8 May 2018 Come March, red-wing blackbirds will return to Wisconsin, which Byers said makes them her harbingers of spring. — Brian E. Clark, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Winter birding in Wisconsin delivers sightings of snowy owls, eagles and more," 16 Feb. 2018 So colly birds likely refer to blackbirds, according to the library. — National Geographic, "Do Partridges Really Live in Pear Trees?," 23 Dec. 2017 One version added a courtyard with a limo, the likeness of Alfred Hitchock and blackbirds, as a wink to the building’s moniker. — Dana Oland, idahostatesman, "At 40, success and longevity of Boise’s iconic Record Exchange ‘a pretty remarkable thing’," 22 Dec. 2017 Scary blackbirds make for perfect Halloween yard art. — Kc Morgan, Popular Mechanics, "3 DIY Halloween Decorations to Make With Recycled Materials," 18 Oct. 2017 His subconscious doesn't even make note of a whistling red-winged blackbird, passing helicopter or speeding bay boat. — Todd Masson, NOLA.com, "Port Sulphur angler captures closeup video of strange weather phenomenon," 30 Aug. 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'blackbird.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.