WAGTAILS

Noun

wagtails

plural of wagtail

Source: Wiktionary


WAGTAIL

Wag"tail`, n. (Zoöl.)

Definition: Any one of many species of Old World singing birds belonging to Motacilla and several allied genera of the family Motacillidæ. They have the habit of constantly jerking their long tails up and down, whence the name. Field wagtail, any one of several species of wagtails of the genus Budytes having the tail shorter, the legs longer, and the hind claw longer and straighter, than do the water wagtails. Most of the species are yellow beneath. Called also yellow wagtail.

– Garden wagtail, the Indian black-breasted wagtail (Nemoricola Indica).

– Pied wagtail, the common European water wagtail (Motacilla lugubris). It is variegated with black and white. The name is applied also to other allied species having similar colors. Called also pied dishwasher.

– Wagtail flycatcher, a true flycatcher (Sauloprocta motacilloides) common in Southern Australia, where it is very tame, and frequents stock yards and gardens and often builds its nest about houses; -- called also black fantail.

– Water wagtail. (a) Any one of several species of wagtails of the restricted genus Motacilla. They live chiefly on the shores of ponds and streams. (b) The American water thrush. See Water thrush.

– Wood wagtail, an Asiatic wagtail; (Calobates sulphurea) having a slender bill and short legs.

Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition



RESET




Word of the Day

18 April 2025

GROIN

(noun) the crease at the junction of the inner part of the thigh with the trunk together with the adjacent region and often including the external genitals


coffee icon

Coffee Trivia

According to Guinness World Records, the largest iced coffee is 14,228.1 liters and was created by Caffé Bene (South Korea), in Yangju, South Korea, on 17 July 2014. They poured iced black Americano on the giant cup that measured 3.3 meters tall and 2.62 meters wide.

coffee icon