blackbird

1 of 2

noun

black·​bird ˈblak-ˌbərd 

1

: any of various birds of which the males are largely or entirely black: such as

a

: a common thrush (Turdus merula) of Eurasia and northern Africa having an orange bill and eye rim

b

: any of several American oscine birds (family Icteridae)

2

: a Pacific islander kidnapped for use as a plantation laborer

blackbird

2 of 2

verb

blackbirded; blackbirding; blackbirds

intransitive verb

: to engage in the slave trade especially in the South Pacific

Examples of blackbird in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

One study of European blackbirds found that migrants had a significantly higher chance of surviving harsh winters than resident birds in the same population. —Lauren Leffer, Popular Science, 26 Sep. 2024

The researchers then brought blackbirds from both locations to an aviary for a long-term experiment on the effect of light pollution. —Lee Alan Dugatkin, Scientific American, 14 May 2024

Studies have shown a long and drawn-out reduction in eggshell thickness in blackbirds, song thrushes and mistle thrushes, for instance, all linked to acidification of their lowland environments, mostly through pollutants such as sulphur dioxide and nitrogen oxide. —Jules Howard, TIME, 4 Sep. 2024

Plus, the chirping blackbird provides solid background vocals. —and Kevin Jacobsen, EW.com, 13 Aug. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1836, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing blackbird

• red-winged blackbird

Kids Definition

blackbird

noun

black·​bird

ˈblak-ˌbərd

: any of various birds of which the males are mostly or entirely black: as

a

: a common European thrush

b

: any of several American birds (as a red-winged blackbird) related to the meadowlarks and orioles