mocker
8.8
A grey and white songbird with a long tail that copies other birds' songs
- noun
- /ˈmɑːkər/
- US
:
mirlo
- In the garden, we heard the mocker copying the tunes of other birds as it perched on a branch.
Examples
-
With the sun up, the wind dies, and the redbirds and mockers fall dead quiet, and a parched heat settles in for the long day, just dry, dry, dry.
Fiction book (1990) -
A talented mocker can imitate the calls of numerous species, enchanting anyone who listens closely.
-
The mocker sang beautifully at dawn, filling the air with a delightful variety of sounds.
Synonyms
35
5.8
A gray and white songbird that copies other birds' songs
has identical meaning but is a different common name
8.1
A small songbird that copies the songs and calls of other birds
refers specifically to the long-tailed gray-and-white southern species rather than thrush-like ones
songster
vsmocker
6.7
A bird that makes clear, pleasant sounds
is a specific mimicking southern species rather than any singing bird
Surface Forms
Morphology
Etymology
The word mocker for the bird comes from mock ('to copy') and the common name mockingbird. That's why a mocker is a bird known for copying the songs of other birds.