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shrike

shrike
S s

Transcription

    • US Pronunciation
    • US IPA
    • UK Pronunciation
    • UK IPA
    • [shrahyk]
    • /ʃraɪk/
    • /ʃraɪk/
    • US Pronunciation
    • US IPA
    • [shrahyk]
    • /ʃraɪk/

Definitions of shrike word

  • noun shrike any of numerous predaceous oscine birds of the family Laniidae, having a strong, hooked, and toothed bill, feeding on insects and sometimes on small birds and other animals: the members of certain species impale their prey on thorns or suspend it from the branches of trees to tear it apart more easily, and are said to kill more than is necessary for them to eat. 1
  • noun shrike any of several other birds having similar bills, as the vanga shrikes. 1
  • noun shrike (initial capital letter) Military. a 10-foot (3-meter), 400-pound (180-kg) U.S. air-to-ground missile designed to destroy missile batteries by homing in on their radar emissions. 1
  • noun shrike bird 1
  • noun shrike any songbird of the chiefly Old World family Laniidae, having a heavy hooked bill and feeding on smaller animals which they sometimes impale on thorns, barbed wire, etc 0
  • noun shrike any of various similar but unrelated birds, such as the cuckoo shrikes 0
See all 7 definitions of shrike

Information block about the term

Origin of shrike

First appearance:

before 1535
One of the 29% oldest English words
1535-45; perhaps continuing Old English scrīc thrush; akin to Old Norse skrīkja to twitter; see shriek

Historical Comparancy

Parts of speech for Shrike

noun
adjective
verb
adverb
pronoun
preposition
conjunction
determiner
exclamation
Full grammatical hierarchy of Shrike

shrike popularity

A common word. It’s meaning is known to most children of preschool age. About 88% of English native speakers know the meaning and use the word.
This word is included in each student's vocabulary. Most likely there is at least one movie with this word in the title.

shrike usage trend in Literature

This diagram is provided by Google Ngram Viewer

Top questions with shrike

  • what is a shrike?
  • who is lionel shrike?

Related words

  • antshrike

    any of several antbirds, especially of the genus Thamnophilus, superficially resembling the shrike.

  • loggerhead shrike

    a common, North American shrike, Lanius ludovicianus, gray above and white below with black wings, tail, and facial mask.

  • woodchat

    Also, woodchat shrike. a shrike, Lanius senator, of Europe and northern Africa, having a black forehead and a chestnut crown, nape, and mantle.

  • loggerhead

    a thick-headed or stupid person; blockhead.

  • peppershrike

    either of two large vireos of the genus Cyclarhis, ranging from Mexico to Chile, and having heavy shrikelike bills.

  • vanga shrike

    any of several birds of the family Vangidae, endemic to Madagascar, some of which resemble shrikes, with great diversity in size, color, and bill shape.
All related words to shrike

See also

Matching words

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