scissortail

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scissortail

A scissortail perches on a fence post, its long forked tail spread behind it.

Definition

Noun: 1. A type of flycatcher bird: The scissortail is a specific bird species (Tyrannus forficatus), also known as the scissor-tailed flycatcher. It is characterized by its extremely long, forked tail, which resembles a pair of open scissors, especially in flight.

Usage
  • The scissortail is the state bird of Oklahoma.
  • We spotted a scissortail perched on the fence post, its distinctive tail feathers clearly visible.
  • The aerial acrobatics of the scissortail are fascinating to watch.
Advanced Usage
  • "Scissortail" as a descriptive term: While primarily a proper noun for the bird, the distinctive tail shape can be used descriptively in other contexts (e.g., "scissortail kite").
    • The child's kite had a long, scissortail streamer.
Variants and Related Words
  • Scissor-tailed flycatcher: The full, more formal common name for the bird.
  • Tyrannus forficatus: The scientific (Latin) name for the species.
Synonyms
  • Scissor-tailed flycatcher (direct synonym)
  • Fork-tailed flycatcher (a related but different species; note this is not a perfect synonym but a similar descriptive name)
Related Idioms or Phrases
  • There are no common idioms directly using the word "scissortail." Its use is almost exclusively ornithological or descriptive.
scissortail

A scissortail perches on a fence post, its long forked tail spread behind it.

Noun
  1. grey flycatcher of the southwestern United States and Mexico and Central America having a long forked tail and white breast and salmon and scarlet markings