noun
starling
STAR-ling/ˈstɑːrlɪŋ/
A small, usually dark songbird that often gathers in flocks.
The nearest starling flies ahead of the glossy dark flock.
Etymology
The older bird name stær already meant “starling,” so the ending expands an existing name for the bird. Here the formation is diminutive, although the suffix itself did not begin as a diminutive.
In context
and then there's a moment where the birds shift, and they form the shape of a starling in the sky!
also recording a starling who was pretending to be a car alarm.
More examples
- Several starlings gathered.
- A starling flew from the roof.
- They watched a flock of starlings.
Forms
starling · starlings
Similar words
- blackbird
- A different bird despite similar dark coloring.
- songbird
- The broader category.