Definition

1. Noun:
   • A small, slender Old World songbird of the family Motacillidae, characterized by a very long tail that it frequently wags up and down, especially while walking or standing.

Usage

• The word wagtail is used as a countable noun to refer to a specific type of bird. It is typically used in singular or plural forms to describe one or more of these birds.
• It is commonly used in birdwatching, ornithology, and general descriptive contexts about nature.

Examples

• Noun:
  • A pied wagtail was bobbing its tail by the stream.
  • We saw several yellow wagtails in the field.
  • The constant motion of the wagtail's tail is its most distinctive feature.

Advanced Usage

• "to wag its tail like a wagtail": A simile describing something that moves back and forth rapidly.
  • The little dog's rear end wags its tail like a wagtail when he's excited.

Variants and Related Words

• Pied Wagtail (n): A common black-and-white subspecies () of the white wagtail found in Britain and Ireland.
• Yellow Wagtail (n): A species () with predominantly yellow plumage.
• Grey Wagtail (n): A species () known for its grey upperparts and long, constantly wagging tail.
• Wag (v): To move rapidly from side to side or up and down. (This is the root action that gives the bird its name).

Synonyms

• Motacilla (n): The scientific genus name for most wagtails.
• Pipit (n): A related bird in the same family (Motacillidae) but generally with a shorter tail that does not wag as characteristically.

Related Phrases

• Wagtail's dance: A poetic or descriptive phrase for the bird's characteristic tail movement.
  • The wagtail's dance along the water's edge was a charming sight.

Idioms

• None directly associated with the bird "wagtail" itself. The word is primarily used in its literal ornithological sense.

Noun

1. Old World bird having a very long tail that jerks up and down as it walks