skylark

Meanings

1. 1
   verb

   To jump about joyfully, frolic; to play around, play tricks.

   I cherished no malice towards him, though he had been skylarking with me not a little in the matter of my bedfellow.

2. 2
   noun

   brown-speckled European lark noted for singing while hovering at a great height

3. 3
   verb

   play boisterously

4. 4
   noun

   A small brown passerine bird, Alauda arvensis, that sings as it flies high into the air.

Etymology

From sky + lark. Verb sense 1809, originally nautical, possibly influenced by northern English dialectal term lake/laik (“to play”) (from Old Norse leika (“to play (as opposed to work)”)); see lark for details.