noun
grackle
GRAK-ul/ˈɡrækl/
A glossy blackbird with a long tail and a harsh call.
A grackle spreads its long tail and gives a harsh call.
Etymology
Graculus named a jackdaw or European crow, supplying an older bird name for the blackbird now called a grackle. The Latin name may have imitated a bird's cry, but that origin is uncertain.
More examples
- The grackle's dark feathers shine purple and blue in the sunlight.
- Several grackles gather beneath the feeder to eat fallen seeds.
- We hear a grackle calling from the roof.
Forms
grackle · grackles
Similar words
- blackbird
- A broader name that includes grackles and other dark-feathered birds.