shrike

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   a predatory songbird with a hooked bill, known for impaling uneaten prey on thorns or wire

   The shrike pinned a beetle to a thorn before returning to its perch.

From Middle English shrike and Old English scric, a bird name related to shriek and screech. The bird was probably named for its harsh call.

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External links

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• Cambridge Dictionary
• Wiktionary