noun
pica
A taxonomic genus of magpies, written Pica.
The black-billed magpie belongs to the bird genus Pica.
Etymology
Latin pica means magpie. Zoological naming preserves the ancient bird name as the genus name for magpies.
More examples
- Pica includes several species of magpies.
- Scientists place the yellow-billed magpie in Pica.
- The genus name Pica is capitalized in scientific writing.
Forms
Pica