shrike

noun

ˈshrīk 

especially Southern ˈsrīk

: any of numerous usually largely gray or brownish oscine birds (family Laniidae) that have a hooked bill, feed chiefly on insects, and often impale their prey on thorns

Illustration of shrike

Examples of shrike in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Several animals—including worms, lizards, small rodents, other birds, and even snakes—have fallen prey to the appetite of a shrike. — Daisy Hernandez, Popular Mechanics, 14 Apr. 2022

From a purple-pod terminalia tree a crimson-breasted shrike pontificated at us. — AFAR Media, 30 Oct. 2025

In addition to flycatchers, shrikes and some owls, bird species commonly trapped include bluebirds, woodpeckers, sparrows, and kestrels. — Grrlscientist, Forbes.com, 18 Aug. 2025

Among male green tree frogs, smaller specimens lower their voices to sound bigger, and shrikes, a type of songbird that uses false alarms to divert rivals from food or potential mates, lie as a matter of habit. — Paul Tullis, Town & Country, 30 Apr. 2023

Word History

Etymology

perhaps from Middle English *shrik, from Old English scrīc thrush; akin to Middle English shriken to shriek

First Known Use

1544, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing shrike

• loggerhead shrike
• woodchat shrike

Rhymes for shrike

• bike
• dike
• hike
• ike
• like
• mike
• psych
• pyke
• spike
• strike
• tike
• alike