magpie
/'mægpai/
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
- Noun:
- A type of bird: A magpie is a bird with black and white plumage and a long tail, known for its noisy, chattering call. It is a member of the crow family.
- A person who chatters incessantly: A magpie can refer to a person who talks a lot, often in a foolish or annoying way.
- A collector of miscellaneous items: A magpie can describe someone who habitually collects or hoards various, often small or discarded, objects.
Usage Examples
- Noun (Bird):
- A magpie was chattering loudly in the tree.
- The magpie's black-and-white feathers are very distinctive.
- Noun (Talkative person):
- Don't tell him any secrets; he's a real magpie.
- She's a cheerful magpie, always full of gossip and stories.
- Noun (Collector):
- My uncle is a magpie; his garage is full of old tools and bits of machinery.
- As a digital magpie, she saves every interesting article she finds online.
Advanced Usage
- "Magpie tendency" or "Magpie instinct": Refers to the human tendency to be attracted to and collect shiny, attractive, or trivial items.
- He has a real magpie instinct when he goes to flea markets.
- Used attributively: The word can be used as an adjective to describe similar collecting or chattering behavior.
- She has a magpie mind, flitting from one interest to another.
Variants and Related Words
- Pica (n): The genus name for magpies.
- Chatterer (n): A synonym for a talkative person.
- Hoarding (n): The behavior of collecting and keeping things, often to excess.
Synonyms
- Bird: No direct synonym, but related to crow, jay.
- Talkative person: Chatterbox, blabbermouth, gossip.
- Collector: Pack rat, hoarder, accumulator.
Related Phrases
- "Magpie eye": A keen eye for spotting and being attracted to shiny or attractive things.
- With her magpie eye, she spotted the antique brooch immediately.
Noun
- an obnoxious and foolish and loquacious talker
- someone who collects things that have been discarded by others
- long-tailed black-and-white crow that utters a raucous chattering call