noun
starling
STAH-lihng
Starling (noun) means a common small to medium-sized bird known for its dark, glossy, iridescent feathers and noisy flocking behaviour. Example: “Thousands of starlings swirled together in a huge flock at dusk.”
noun
1
A common small to medium-sized bird known for its dark, glossy, iridescent feathers and noisy flocking behaviour.
"Thousands of starlings swirled together in a huge flock at dusk."
"A starling landed on the fence and began to sing."
How to use starling
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA small dark bird famous for gathering in huge, swooping flocks called murmurations.
Common pairings
flock of starlings
starling murmuration
common starling
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Word forms
- Plural
- starlings
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Thousands of _____ swirled together in a huge flock at dusk.
Etymology
From Old English stærling, combining stær ("starling") with the diminutive suffix "-ling," so it originally meant something like "little starling."
Synonyms
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Rhymes for starling
See all rhymes for starling →Frequently asked questions
What does “starling” mean?
The word “starling” means a common small to medium-sized bird known for its dark, glossy, iridescent feathers and noisy flocking behaviour. In plain terms, a small dark bird famous for gathering in huge, swooping flocks called murmurations.
How do you pronounce “starling”?
“Starling” is pronounced STAH-lihng (/ˈstɑɹlɪŋ/ in IPA).
How do you use “starling” in a sentence?
Here is “starling” used in a sentence: “Thousands of starlings swirled together in a huge flock at dusk.”
What part of speech is “starling”?
“Starling” is a noun.
Where does the word “starling” come from?
The word “starling” comes from Old English. From Old English stærling, combining stær ("starling") with the diminutive suffix "-ling," so it originally meant something like "little starling.".
