magpie

noun mag·pie \ ˈmag-ˌpī \

Updated on: 15 Apr 2018

Definition of magpie

1 : any of various birds (especially Pica pica) related to the jays but having a long graduated tail and black-and-white or brightly colored plumage

2 : a person who chatters noisily

3 : one who collects indiscriminately

See magpie defined for English-language learners

See magpie defined for kids

Examples of magpie in a Sentence

media magpies will no doubt seize upon the president's latest gaffe and blow it all out of proportion

Recent Examples of magpie from the Web

Members of the corvid family (songbirds including ravens, crows, jays, and magpies, to name a few) are among the most intelligent birds, though common ravens may have the edge on tackling tough problems, according to McGowan.

— National Geographic, "Why Ravens and Crows Are Earth’s Smartest Birds," 15 Mar. 2018
One group includes hunters of rats, squirrels, crows and magpies, while another is devoted to tips and tricks for airgun shooters.

— gianluca mezzofiore, CNN, "Tired of not being able to post your gun pictures? Forget Facebook. There's now Gunbook," 22 Mar. 2018
Iris Apfel, the 96-year-old style star, textile artist, occasional cover girl, and chic home decor magpie, can now add a new line to her substantial resume: furniture designer.

— becca endicott, ELLE Decor, "Iris Apfel's First Furniture Collection Is Here And It's Drop-Dead Gorgeous," 5 Dec. 2017
Anderson is one of American film’s most artful magpies, pulling ideas into his storybook from all over.

— michael phillips, chicagotribune.com, "'Isle of Dogs': Wes Anderson's desolate canine tale of loyalty," 26 Mar. 2018
Most were red-tailed hawks, but other birds killed included an owl, at least one magpie songbird, and North America's largest hawk, the migratory ferruginous hawk.

— Fox News, "More than 100 dead hawks, other birds found on Northern California property," 15 Mar. 2018
Among birds, only pigeons and magpies understand that the animal in the mirror is themselves.

— National Geographic, "Why Dogs Pee in Their Bowls and Other Pet Behaviors Explained," 6 Jan. 2018
Blame was a discerning magpie, and his work attracted the attention not only of celebrities (among them Björk and Kylie Minogue), but fellow creators including Comme des Garçons’s Rei Kawakubo.

— Vogue, "Judy Blame, Who Helped Craft the Look of the 1980s, Is Dead at 58," 20 Feb. 2018
Google’s Snow Games festivities kick off with a magpie, a good luck symbol in Korea, alighting on the Google logo before a stiff winter wind blows in an icy frost.

— eli meixler, Time, "Google 'Snow Games' Celebrate the Winter Olympics," 9 Feb. 2018

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