Standard Lemma guide

magpie

noun · verb · 18 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

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • /ˈmæɡˌpaɪ/
  • Australia: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • CMU ARPABET: M AE1 G P AY2 Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

noun

Meaning 1

One of several kinds of bird in the family Corvidae, especially Pica pica.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: haggister, maggie, Eurasian magpie, European magpie, common magpie, pica, pie, piet

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

A superficially similar Australian bird, Gymnorhina tibicen, in the family Artamidae.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

Someone who displays a magpie-like quality such as hoarding or stealing objects.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: figuratively

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

noun

Meaning 4

A fan or member of Newcastle United F.C.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: slang

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

noun

Meaning 5

In the sport of fullbore target rifle, the third circle on a target, between the inner and outer.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: UK

Topics: engineering, firearms, government, military, natural-sciences, physical-sciences, politics, tools, war, weaponry

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

6

noun

Meaning 6

A halfpenny.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: UK, obsolete, slang

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

7

noun

Meaning 7

A pattern resembling the pied plumage of a magpie.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: attributive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

8

noun

Meaning 8

Someone connected with Newcastle United Football Club, as a fan, player, coach, etc.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: ball-games, games, hobbies, lifestyle, soccer, sports

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

9

noun

Meaning 9

Someone connected with Notts County Football Club, as a fan, player, coach, etc.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: ball-games, games, hobbies, lifestyle, soccer, sports

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

10

noun

Meaning 10

Someone connected with Collingwood Football Club, as a fan, player, coach, etc.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Qualifier: Australian rules football

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

11

noun

Meaning 11

Someone connected with the Western Suburbs Magpies, as a fan, player, coach, etc.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Qualifier: rugby league

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

12

noun

Meaning 12

A town in the City of Ballarat, central western Victoria, Australia.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

13

verb

Meaning 13

To mark with patches of black and white or light and dark.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: mottle

Antonyms: none provided

14

verb

Meaning 14

To steal or hoard (items) as magpies are believed to do.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: ambitransitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

15

verb

Meaning 15

To talk idly; to talk about other people's private business.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: intransitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: chatter, gossip

Antonyms: none provided

16

noun

Meaning 16

long-tailed black-and-white crow that utters a raucous chattering call

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: corvine bird

Narrower terms: European magpie, Pica pica, American magpie, Pica pica hudsonia

17

noun

Meaning 17

an obnoxious and foolish and loquacious talker

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: chatterer, babbler, prater, chatterbox, spouter

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: speaker, talker, utterer, verbalizer, verbaliser

18

noun

Meaning 18

someone who collects things that have been discarded by others

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: scavenger, pack rat

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: hoarder

History

Etymology

From Mag, a nickname for Margaret that was used to denote a chatterer, + archaic pie (“magpie”), from Middle English pie, pye, from Old French pie, from Latin pīca, from Proto-Indo-European *(s)peyk- (“woodpecker, magpie”). Displaced native Old English agu (“magpie”) and Middle English aguster (“magpie”), whence English haggister.

Across languages

Translations

218 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Albanian: laraskë — bird of genus Pica
  • Albanian: grizhël — bird of genus Pica
  • Southern Altai: сагыскан (sagïskan) — bird of genus Pica
  • Southern Altai: саҥыскан (saŋïskan) — bird of genus Pica
  • Arabic: عَقْعَق (ʕaqʕaq) — bird of genus Pica
  • Arabic: بلْعڭاڭ (bələgæg) — bird of genus Pica
  • Armenian: կաչաղակ (kačʻaġak) — bird of genus Pica
  • Asturian: pega — bird of genus Pica
  • Azerbaijani: sağsağan — bird of genus Pica
  • Bashkir: һайыҫҡан (hayıśqan) — bird of genus Pica
  • Basque: mika — bird of genus Pica
  • Basque: pika — bird of genus Pica
  • Belarusian: саро́ка (saróka) — bird of genus Pica
  • Breton: pig — bird of genus Pica
  • Bulgarian: свра́ка (svráka) — bird of genus Pica
  • Catalan: garsa — bird of genus Pica
  • Chechen: къорзакъиг (qʼorzaqʼig) — bird of genus Pica
  • Chinese Cantonese: 喜鵲 /喜鹊 — bird of genus Pica
  • Chinese: щичё (xiqio) — bird of genus Pica
  • Chinese: җичё (jiqio) — bird of genus Pica
  • Chinese Mandarin: 喜鵲 /喜鹊 (xǐque) — bird of genus Pica
  • Cornish: piesen — bird of genus Pica
  • Crimean Tatar: savusqan — bird of genus Pica
  • Czech: straka — bird of genus Pica
  • Danish: skade — bird of genus Pica
  • Dutch: ekster — bird of genus Pica
  • Esperanto: pigo — bird of genus Pica
  • Esperanto: pigino — bird of genus Pica
  • Estonian: harakas — bird of genus Pica
  • Faroese: skjóra — bird of genus Pica
  • Finnish: harakka — bird of genus Pica
  • French: pie — bird of genus Pica
  • North Frisian: Haister — bird of genus Pica
  • North Frisian: heister — bird of genus Pica
  • North Frisian: schåå (Ockholm) — bird of genus Pica
  • Saterland Frisian: Akster — bird of genus Pica
  • West-Frisian: ekster — bird of genus Pica
  • Friulian: cheche — bird of genus Pica
  • Gagauz: saksaan — bird of genus Pica
  • Galician: pega — bird of genus Pica
  • Galician: picacrega — bird of genus Pica
  • Galician: picaza — bird of genus Pica
  • Galician: marica — bird of genus Pica
  • Galician: poupa — bird of genus Pica
  • Georgian: კაჭკაჭი (ḳač̣ḳač̣i) — bird of genus Pica
  • German: Elster — bird of genus Pica
  • Greek: καρακάξα (karakáxa) — bird of genus Pica
  • Hebrew: עַקְעָק — bird of genus Pica
  • Hindi: अधेला (adhelā) — bird of genus Pica
  • Hungarian: szarka — bird of genus Pica
  • Icelandic: skjór — bird of genus Pica
  • Ido: pigo — bird of genus Pica
  • Ido: pigulo — bird of genus Pica
  • Ido: pigino — bird of genus Pica
  • Indonesian: murai — bird of genus Pica
  • Irish: snag breac — bird of genus Pica
  • Irish: meaig — bird of genus Pica
  • Italian: gazza — bird of genus Pica
  • Japanese: 鵲 — bird of genus Pica
  • Kaitag: вяркъкъя (vərɢɢə) — bird of genus Pica
  • Kalmyk: шаазһа (şaazğa) — bird of genus Pica
  • Kazakh: сауысқан (sauysqan) — bird of genus Pica
  • Korean: 까치 (kkachi) — bird of genus Pica
  • Kumyk: савусгъан (sawusğan) — bird of genus Pica
  • Kumyk: лакълакъи (laqlaqi) — bird of genus Pica
  • Central Kurdish: قِشقەڵە (qişqelle) — bird of genus Pica
  • Northern Kurdish: qijik — bird of genus Pica
  • Kyrgyz: сагызган (sagızgan) — bird of genus Pica
  • Ladin: gacia — bird of genus Pica
  • Latgalian: žogota — bird of genus Pica
  • Latin: pīca — bird of genus Pica
  • Latvian: žagata — bird of genus Pica
  • Lithuanian: šarka — bird of genus Pica
  • Low German: Heister — bird of genus Pica
  • Low German: Hääkster — bird of genus Pica
  • Low German: Heckster — bird of genus Pica
  • Low German: Heekster — bird of genus Pica
  • Low German: Hester — bird of genus Pica
  • Lushootseed: ʔadʔad — bird of genus Pica
  • Macedonian: страчка (stračka) — bird of genus Pica
  • Macedonian: сврака (svraka) — bird of genus Pica
  • Maltese: cawla bajda — bird of genus Pica
  • Manchu: ᠰᠠᡴᠰᠠᡥᠠ (saksaha) — bird of genus Pica
  • Māori: makipai — bird of genus Pica
  • Māori: timohina — bird of genus Pica
  • Mazanderani: کور کلاچ (kur kelâč) — bird of genus Pica
  • Mazanderani: کشکرت (kaškeret) — bird of genus Pica
  • Mongolian: шаазгай (šaazgaj) — bird of genus Pica
  • Navajo: ąąʼąʼii — bird of genus Pica
  • Norman: pie — bird of genus Pica
  • Norman: mèrgot — bird of genus Pica
  • Norman: piêté — bird of genus Pica
  • Norwegian Bokmål: skjære — bird of genus Pica
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: skjor — bird of genus Pica
  • Occitan: agaça — bird of genus Pica
  • Church Slavic: сврака (svraka) — bird of genus Pica
  • Church Slavic: ⱄⰲⱃⰰⰽⰰ (svraka) — bird of genus Pica
  • Old English: higera — bird of genus Pica
  • Pashto: اوږبۍ (uẓbᶕy) — bird of genus Pica
  • Pashto: بوږبۍ (boẓbáy) — bird of genus Pica
  • Pashto: عکه (áka) — bird of genus Pica
  • Persian: زاغ (zâġ) — bird of genus Pica
  • Persian: کلاچه (kalâče) — bird of genus Pica
  • Persian: زاغی (zâġi) — bird of genus Pica
  • Polish: sroka — bird of genus Pica
  • Portuguese: gralha — bird of genus Pica
  • Portuguese: pega — bird of genus Pica
  • Romani: kakarachi — bird of genus Pica
  • Romani: kakarachka — bird of genus Pica
  • Romanian: coțofană — bird of genus Pica
  • Romansh: giazla — bird of genus Pica
  • Russian: соро́ка (soróka) — bird of genus Pica
  • Northern Sami: skire — bird of genus Pica
  • Skolt-Sami: soorkõs — bird of genus Pica
  • Samogitian: žagata — bird of genus Pica
  • Sardinian: piga — bird of genus Pica
  • Sardinian: malabiga — bird of genus Pica
  • Sardinian: mariabiga — bird of genus Pica
  • Sardinian: marabiga — bird of genus Pica
  • Scottish Gaelic: athaid — bird of genus Pica
  • Serbo-Croatian: свра̏ка — bird of genus Pica
  • Serbo-Croatian: svrȁka — bird of genus Pica
  • Shor: саасқан (saasqan) — bird of genus Pica
  • Sicilian: craccarazza — bird of genus Pica
  • Slovak: straka — bird of genus Pica
  • Slovene: sráka — bird of genus Pica
  • Lower Sorbian: sroka — bird of genus Pica
  • Upper Sorbian: sroka — bird of genus Pica
  • Spanish: urraca — bird of genus Pica
  • Spanish: picaza — bird of genus Pica
  • Swedish: skata — bird of genus Pica
  • Tagalog: dominiko — bird of genus Pica
  • Tajik: акка (akka) — bird of genus Pica
  • Taos: kwʼàyána — bird of genus Pica
  • Tatar: саескан (sayısqan) — bird of genus Pica
  • Turkish: saksağan — bird of genus Pica
  • Turkmen: alahekik — bird of genus Pica
  • Udmurt: коӵо (kočo) — bird of genus Pica
  • Ukrainian: соро́ка (soróka) — bird of genus Pica
  • Uyghur: سېغىزخان (sëghizxan) — bird of genus Pica
  • Uyghur: سېغىزغان (sëghizghan) — bird of genus Pica
  • Uzbek: hakka — bird of genus Pica
  • Uzbek: zagʻizgʻon — bird of genus Pica
  • Vietnamese: chim ác là — bird of genus Pica
  • Vilamovian: ołaoster — bird of genus Pica
  • Volapük: piak — bird of genus Pica
  • Volapük: skadit — bird of genus Pica
  • Walloon: agaesse — bird of genus Pica
  • Welsh: pïod — bird of genus Pica
  • Welsh: pi — bird of genus Pica
  • Welsh: pioden — bird of genus Pica
  • Yiddish: סאָראָקע (soroke) — bird of genus Pica
  • Zazaki: keçelek — bird of genus Pica
  • Zazaki: kur kelaç — bird of genus Pica
  • Albanian: laraskë — Pica pica
  • Albanian: grizhël — Pica pica
  • Catalan: garsa — Pica pica
  • Danish: husskade — Pica pica
  • Finnish: harakka — Pica pica
  • French: pie bavarde — Pica pica
  • Galician: pega — Pica pica
  • Galician: picacrega — Pica pica
  • Galician: picaza — Pica pica
  • Galician: marica — Pica pica
  • Galician: poupa — Pica pica
  • German: Elster — Pica pica
  • Greek: καρακάξα (karakáxa) — Pica pica
  • Latin: pīca — Pica pica
  • Mongolian: шаазгай (šaazgaj) — Pica pica
  • Mongolian: алаг шаазгай (alag šaazgaj) — Pica pica
  • Norwegian Bokmål: skjære — Pica pica
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: skjor — Pica pica
  • Spanish: urraca — Pica pica
  • Spanish: marica — Pica pica
  • Spanish: pega — Pica pica
  • Lower Tanana: dotron' bozra — Pica pica
  • Welsh: pïod — Pica pica
  • Adnyamathanha: urrakurli — Australian bird, Gymnorhina tibicen
  • Eastern Arrernte: arrpwere — Australian bird, Gymnorhina tibicen
  • Barngarla: birala — Australian bird, Gymnorhina tibicen
  • Barngarla: goorra — Australian bird, Gymnorhina tibicen
  • Burarra: durrowturrow — Australian bird, Gymnorhina tibicen
  • Chinese Mandarin: 黑背鍾鵲 /黑背钟鹊 (hēi bèi zhōng què) — Australian bird, Gymnorhina tibicen
  • Dutch: zwartrugfluitvogel — Australian bird, Gymnorhina tibicen
  • Finnish: isohuiluvaris — Australian bird, Gymnorhina tibicen
  • French: cassican flûteur — Australian bird, Gymnorhina tibicen
  • Gamilaraay: burrugaabu — Australian bird, Gymnorhina tibicen
  • Gamilaraay: galalu — Australian bird, Gymnorhina tibicen
  • Gamilaraay: guluu — Australian bird, Gymnorhina tibicen
  • Gurindji: kumurlawurta — Australian bird, Gymnorhina tibicen
  • Gurindji: kumurlawurru — Australian bird, Gymnorhina tibicen
  • Guugu Yimidhirr: gurradhuwaar — Australian bird, Gymnorhina tibicen
  • Iwaidja: narrarti — Australian bird, Gymnorhina tibicen
  • Japanese: カササギフエガラス (kasasagifuegarasu) — Australian bird, Gymnorhina tibicen
  • Kaurna: kurraka — Australian bird, Gymnorhina tibicen
  • Australian Kriol: megpai — Australian bird, Gymnorhina tibicen
  • Australian Kriol: bujabed — Australian bird, Gymnorhina tibicen
  • Māori: makipai — Australian bird, Gymnorhina tibicen
  • Māori: timohina — Australian bird, Gymnorhina tibicen
  • Martu Wangka: kurrpanyji — Australian bird, Gymnorhina tibicen
  • Martu Wangka: kurrparu — Australian bird, Gymnorhina tibicen
  • Narungga: murru — Australian bird, Gymnorhina tibicen
  • Ngarinman: gumurlawurda — Australian bird, Gymnorhina tibicen
  • Ngarrindjeri: konlarru — Australian bird, Gymnorhina tibicen
  • Ngarrindjeri: muldhari — Australian bird, Gymnorhina tibicen
  • Ngarrindjeri: tilitili — Australian bird, Gymnorhina tibicen
  • Norwegian Bokmål: plystreskjære — Australian bird, Gymnorhina tibicen
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: plystreskjor — Australian bird, Gymnorhina tibicen
  • Polish: dzierzbowron — Australian bird, Gymnorhina tibicen
  • Warlpiri: kumarlawurru — Australian bird, Gymnorhina tibicen
  • Warlpiri: kurrparu — Australian bird, Gymnorhina tibicen
  • Warlpiri: kurrpurlardi — Australian bird, Gymnorhina tibicen
  • Warlpiri: warntukurr-pari — Australian bird, Gymnorhina tibicen
  • Warlpiri: yakurlajirri — Australian bird, Gymnorhina tibicen
  • Wiradjuri: booroogong — Australian bird, Gymnorhina tibicen
  • Wiradjuri: garoogong — Australian bird, Gymnorhina tibicen
  • Woiwurrung: paRawuRung — Australian bird, Gymnorhina tibicen
  • Yindjibarndi: warndurla — Australian bird, Gymnorhina tibicen