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Added 10 October 2026

shrike

/ʃɹaɪk/ noun

noun Definition from WordNet 3.1, Princeton University. Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about shrike at Wordnik → Where our words come from →

Any of numerous Old World birds having a strong hooked bill that feed on smaller animals.

Origin

From Middle English *schrike, *schryke, from Old English sċrīc (“shrike, thrush”), from the same root as shriek and screech, named after the bird's cry. Compare Icelandic skríkja (“shrieker, shrike”), Swedish skrika (“jay”).

From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)

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