noun
magpie
MAG-peye
noun
1
A black-and-white bird of the crow family, known for its chattering call and reputed liking for shiny objects.
"A magpie kept swooping at the garden fence all morning."
2
A person who collects or hoards objects indiscriminately, especially trinkets or shiny things.
"She's a real magpie — her jewellery box is stuffed with things she never wears."
How to Use Magpie
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishEither the black-and-white bird, or (as a nickname for a person) someone who compulsively collects or hoards odds and ends.
Common pairings
magpie for something
chattering magpie
Word Forms
magpied past tense, magpies plural, Magpies plural, magpies singular
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Etymology
From "Mag", a nickname for Margaret once used for a chatty person, combined with the old word "pie" meaning magpie, from Latin pica.