magpie

1 of 2

noun

mag·​pie ˈmag-ˌpī 

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

Illustration of magpie

• magpie 1

magpie

2 of 2

adjective

1

: collected indiscriminately : miscellaneous

… magpie compilations of unrelated tidbits …

—Helen R. Cross

2

: given to indiscriminate collecting : acquisitive

… what possible magpie instinct had impelled me to retain them …

—S. J. Perelman

Synonyms of magpie

Noun

• chatterer
• jay

Adjective

• eclectic

Examples of magpie in a Sentence

Noun

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

Adjective

a pack rat whose cramped apartment is filled with a magpie collection of books, old newspapers, and tchotchkes

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

My creativity delights in currawong calls, and the ululation of magpies, warblers and kookaburras. —Literary Hub, 28 Jan. 2026

Only the magpies know who caused this mess. —E. Tammy Kim, New Yorker, 17 Dec. 2025

Adjective

This mix-and-match approach played right into his own magpie sensibilities. —Lily Templeton, Footwear News, 22 Dec. 2025

The magpie Bayazid meets boys from a higher station who attend the nearby private school and live in a world almost as alien as a snowscape in a snow globe. —Cressida Leyshon, New Yorker, 23 Nov. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Mag (nickname for Margaret) + pie entry 2

First Known Use

Noun

1598, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adjective

1796, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for magpie

• ai
• aye
• bae
• bi
• buy
• by
• bye
• chai
• chi
• cry
• die
• dry

Kids Definition

magpie

noun

mag·​pie

ˈmag-ˌpī

1

: any of various noisy birds related to the jays but having a long tail and black-and-white feathers

2

: a person who chatters constantly