magpie

noun

mag·pie | \ ˈmag-ˌpī

Definition of magpie

(Entry 1 of 2)

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

magpie

adjective

Definition of magpie (Entry 2 of 2)

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 & Antonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about magpie

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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

Bottlenose dolphins, magpies, and manta rays are among the few species that have passed that test. — Natasha Daly, National Geographic, "See 14 animals that have shown us their impressive smarts," 9 Sep. 2019 Penguin cognition is not quite as well documented as that of parrots or corvids (crows, ravens, and magpies, for example), which have been formally studied for years, says Anne Tieber, Curator of Birds at the St. Louis Zoo. — National Geographic, "How penguins show their smarts," 25 Apr. 2019 On the seventh night of the seventh month of the lunar calendar, magpies soar to the heavens, hovering wing to wing. — Vanessa Hua, SFChronicle.com, "Can bridge of magpies span divisions in U.S.?," 8 Aug. 2019 The Céline sensibility dominated the early part of the decade, until Gucci’s Alessandro Michele ushered in a period of magpie maximalism and Demna Gvasalia and Virgil Abloh made logos cool again. — Nicole Phelps, Vogue, "Fashion Rewind: Why We’re Taking Stock of the 2010s and Where We’re Headed Next," 18 July 2019 Previously, the only animals who’d passed the test were great apes, bottlenose dolphins, European magpies, and one Asian elephant (and even some of those results were disputed). — Sigal Samuel, Vox, "Breakups really suck, even if you’re a fish," 20 July 2019 Director Talbot is a magpie, pulling ideas from all over, effectively. — Michael Phillips, chicagotribune.com, "'Last Black Man in San Francisco' review: This old house tells a story," 11 June 2019 And more importantly, how seriously is one to take the results of his magpie approach to scholarly allusion? — Andrew Martin, Harper's magazine, "Not Mere Projection," 10 Mar. 2019 The magpies have one of the best managers in the world. — SI.com, "Why Newcastle Should Be Challenging for European Football Next Season Under Benitez," 9 May 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.