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mynah

mynah

2 8.9
A bird from tropical Asia that often copies human speech
  • noun
  • /ˈmaɪnə/
  • Indian
translation icon : myna
  • In the morning, the mynah bird perched by the window and greeted everyone with a cheerful "hello!"
  • mynah bird
  • black mynah

Examples

  • During the tropical sunset, the mynah bird sang beautifully, attracting the attention of passersby.

  • The mynah bird can imitate many human sounds and phrases, making it a popular pet.

  • What are you, a mynah bird?

  • Mynah birds talk, you know.

  • This will be a full-grown mynah bird.

  • They said the mynah bird would be here later this afternoon, if you care to come back.

  • A black mynah bird swoops out of the tunnel, lands on the platform, and struts in front of him.

    Fiction book (1992)
  • On the sidewalk leading to the entrance of the clinic, they ran into a flock of mynah birds quarreling over a piece of bread.

    Fiction book (1991)
  • She sipped tea, listening to the grackles and mynahs arguing.

    Fiction book (2002)
  • The mynah bird flutters through the beam of light and perches on the shoulder of an unseen figure. Tiptree cowers and squints, trying to make him out, but the figure who stands before him is shielding his face with an open umbrella.

    Fiction book (1992)

Synonyms

mina
vsmynah
  • UK
5 9.9

A loud Asian bird like a starling often kept as a pet that can copy human speech

is defined chiefly by its ability to copy human speech rather than captivity
myna
vsmynah
1 7.7

A bird like a starling from tropical Asia that makes loud calls and copies sounds

is mainly identified by copying human speech rather than loud calls
mynah bird
vsmynah
  • Indian
1 7.5

A tropical bird from Asia that copies human speech and is often kept as a pet

is the shorter form used without the extra noun
myna bird
vsmynah
  • Indian
1 7.3

A tropical Asian bird with glossy black feathers that copies sounds

focuses more on copying human speech than on plumage
minah
vsmynah
  • UK
9.9

A tropical bird that makes loud calls and copies sounds

refers instead to the bird known specifically for human speech mimicry

Compounds

mynah bird
  • Indian
1 7.5

A tropical bird from Asia that copies human speech and is often kept as a pet

Surface Forms

mynah singular
mynahs plural

Etymology

Mynah comes from the Hindi word 'mainā', the local name for this bird in South Asia. So a mynah is a tropical Asian starling famous for copying human speech.