mockingbird
nounUK /ˈmɒkɪŋbɜːd/ · US /ˈmɑkɪŋˌbɝd/
Etymology From mocking + bird, from the ability of the birds to mimic sounds and, in some cases, hum as a wake-up call.
1
Any of various long-tailed American songbirds of the genera Mimus and Melanotis, noted for their ability to mimic calls of other birds.
2
Archaic Synonym of tui (“a species of honeyeater, Prosthemadera novaeseelandiae, a bird which is endemic to New Zealand”).
- Derived terms
- Bahama mockingbird, blue-and-white mockingbird, blue mockingbird, brown-backed mockingbird, chalk-browed mockingbird, Charles mockingbird Mimus trifasciatus), Chatham mockingbird, Chilean mockingbird, Espanola mockingbird, Floreana mockingbird, Galapagos mockingbird, Hood mockingbird, long-tailed mockingbird, northern mockingbird, Patagonian mockingbird, San Cristobal mockingbird, Socorro mockingbird, tropical mockingbird, white-banded mockingbird