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The Feathered History of Piebald
To many people, the noisy black and white birds that go by the scientific name Pica pica—better known as magpies—are nothing but pests. But the Latin root that was adopted for their name isn't a linguistic nuisance; it played an important role in the development of piebald. The pie of piebald (pie is another name for a magpie) derives from pica, which is Latin for "magpie." The other part of piebald comes from the word bald, which can mean "marked with white"; it can also be found in skewbald, an adjective used to describe animals marked with patches of white and any other color but black.
Examples of piebald in a Sentence
John Semley, Rolling Stone, 19 Apr. 2025
Many residents around Madison County shared pictures and stories of their sighting of the piebald raptor and others like it on the department’s Facebook post.
—Lauren Liebhaber, Kansas City Star, 12 Feb. 2025
Only 24 cases of piebald dolphins have ever been recorded, the study said, and only six have been photographed.
—Aspen Pflughoeft, Miami Herald, 8 Feb. 2024
The piebald deer spotted frolicking in an Oregon field last month makes average look overrated, donning a coat sprinkled with bits of white.
—Amaris Encinas, USA TODAY, 29 Mar. 2024
See All Example Sentences for piebald
Cite this Entry
“Piebald.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/piebald. Accessed 22 May. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
piebald
1 of 2 adjective
piebald
2 of 2 noun
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