Standard Lemma guide

lyrebird

noun · 2 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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1

noun

Meaning 1

Either of two large ground-dwelling Australian songbirds, of the genus Menura, named because of the beautiful tail feathers of the male of one species, the superb lyrebird (Menura novaehollandiae), which can be erected to look like a lyre, and notable for their extraordinary ability to mimic natural and artificial sounds from their environment.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

Australian bird that resembles a pheasant; the courting male displays long tail feathers in a lyre shape

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: passerine, passeriform bird

History

Etymology

From lyre + bird.

Across languages

Translations

16 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Armenian: քնարահավ (kʻnarahav) — Australian songbirds of the genus Menura
  • Bulgarian: птица-лира (ptica-lira) — Australian songbirds of the genus Menura
  • Catalan: ocell lira — Australian songbirds of the genus Menura
  • Chinese Mandarin: 琴鳥 /琴鸟 (qínniǎo) — Australian songbirds of the genus Menura
  • Finnish: lyyralintu — Australian songbirds of the genus Menura
  • German: Leierschwanz — Australian songbirds of the genus Menura
  • Ido: liro — Australian songbirds of the genus Menura
  • Irish: liréan — Australian songbirds of the genus Menura
  • Korean: 금조 (geumjo) — Australian songbirds of the genus Menura
  • Polish: lirogon — Australian songbirds of the genus Menura
  • Russian: лирохво́ст (liroxvóst) — Australian songbirds of the genus Menura
  • Spanish: ave lira — Australian songbirds of the genus Menura
  • Swedish: lyrfåfel — Australian songbirds of the genus Menura
  • Tamil: யாழ் பறவை (yāḻ paṟavai) — Australian songbirds of the genus Menura
  • Volapük: menur — Australian songbirds of the genus Menura
  • Woiwurrung: bullan-bullan — Australian songbirds of the genus Menura