starling
nounnounattested in dialogue
- United Kingdom//ˈstɑːlɪŋ//
- United Kingdom/[ˈstɑːlɪŋ]/
- United States//ˈstɑɹlɪŋ//
- United States/[ˈstɑɹlɪŋ]/
A family, Sturnidae, of passerine birds.
noun
- 1
A family, Sturnidae, of passerine birds.
- 2
A family, Sturnidae, of passerine birds. The common starling, Sturnus vulgaris, which has dark, iridescent plumage.
Vast flights of starlings, fleeing the racket, beat across the sky at high speed, like Squall-clouds,— Evening at Noon-tide.
- 3
A fish, rock trout (Hexagrammos spp.), of the North Pacific, especially, Hexagrammos decagrammus, found in US waters.
Etymology
Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *ster- Proto-Indo-European *ster-os Proto-Germanic *staraz Proto-West Germanic *star Old English stær Proto-Indo-European *-lósder. Proto-Germanic *-ilaz Proto-Indo-European *-n̥kʷo-der.? Proto-Indo-European *-nós Proto-Indo-European *-iHnos Proto-Germanic *-īnaz Proto-Indo-European *-kos Proto-Germanic *-gaz ? Proto-Germanic *-ingaz Proto-Germanic *-ilingaz Proto-West Germanic *-ling Old English -ling Old English stærling Middle English starling English starling From Middle English starling, sterling, sterlinge, from Old English stærling, from stær (“starling”) + -ling (diminutive suffix). Cognate with Middle Dutch sterlinck (“starling”).
noun
- 1
An enclosure like a coffer-dam, formed of piles driven closely together before any structure or work, as a protection against the wash of waves, commonly used to protect the piers of a bridge.
- 2
One of the piles used in forming such a breakwater.
Etymology
Apparently a variant of staddling (although difficult to account for), or perhaps an alteration by association with another (unidentified) word.
Forms
- plural
- starlings
starling · A family, Sturnidae, of passerine birds.
Starling · An English surname transferred from the nickname from a…starr · A receipt given by Jews on payment of debt.Starr · A surname. A surname, variant of Star