corvid

noun

cor·​vid ˈkȯr-vəd How to pronounce corvid (audio)
: any of a family (Corvidae) of stout-billed passerine birds including the crows, jays, magpies, and the raven

Examples of corvid in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web In the summer the barbecuers returned to the park and there were leftover chicken wings abandoned on disposable grills, congealing pizza slices on the benches, and bratwurst ends in the bins — fat times for corvids. Susanna Forrest, Longreads, 23 Mar. 2023 But outside, trees are blossoming, and birds are out and about—including corvids, which have been unfairly brought into the world of global health all the sudden by the unfortunate single-letter difference in their name. Katherine Ellen Foley, Quartz, 6 Apr. 2020 Of Parrots and Pigeons Ravens and New Caledonian crows are just two examples of cognitively capable corvid species. Onur Güntürkün, Scientific American, 1 Jan. 2020 The largest evolutionary brain leap is evident in modern birds like parrots and corvids, the group that includes crows, ravens and other related birds. Ashley Strickland, CNN, 23 Apr. 2020 Like other corvids—a family that includes jays, ravens, crows, and magpies—this species is very vocal, and will use different alarm calls to alert the rest of the group to the presence of a predator above versus one from below, such as a snake. National Geographic, 3 Mar. 2020 Crows, jays and other corvids fashion tools from paper clips to fetch food. Melissa Chan, Time, 22 Jan. 2020 If that were true, corvids and parrots should fail when tested with a wide diversity of tasks. Onur Güntürkün, Scientific American, 1 Jan. 2020 Contrary to popular belief, a corvid does not have to have its tongue split to be able to mimic like this. Leah Asmelash and Brian Ries, CNN, 21 Aug. 2019 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'corvid.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

from stem of New Latin Corvidae, from Corvus, a genus (going back to Latin corvus "raven") + -idae -idae — more at cornice

First Known Use

circa 1909, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of corvid was circa 1909

Dictionary Entries Near corvid

Cite this Entry

“Corvid.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/corvid. Accessed 24 Sep. 2023.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!