|
Search over 100 encyclopedias and dictionaries: |
Research categories | Follow us on Twitter |
Research categories
View all topics in the newsView all reference sources at Encyclopedia.com |
|||
shrike
shrike or butcher bird, predatory songbird found in most parts of the world except Australia and South America. The plumage of the European and North American species is mostly gray, black, and white; the tail is long and rounded, and the wings are rather short. Some African species are brilliantly colored. The name butcher bird reflects its habit of impaling its prey—small birds and mammals and large insects—on a thorn or sharp twig before tearing it apart with its strong, tip-hooked beak. North American shrikes include the loggerhead, great gray or northern, and California shrikes. Shrikes are classified in the phylum Chordata , subphylum Vertebrata, class Aves, order Passeriformes, family Laniidae. |
|
|
Cite this article
"shrike." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2011. Encyclopedia.com. 31 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "shrike." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2011. Encyclopedia.com. (May 31, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1E1-shrike.html "shrike." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2011. Retrieved May 31, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1E1-shrike.html |
|
shrike
shrike (butcherbird) Small, perching bird found worldwide, except in South America and Australia. It dives at its prey – insects, small birds, mice – hitting them with its strong, hooked bill and then impaling them on a sharp fence post, twig or thorn. Family Laniidae.
|
|
|
Cite this article
"shrike." World Encyclopedia. 2005. Encyclopedia.com. 31 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "shrike." World Encyclopedia. 2005. Encyclopedia.com. (May 31, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O142-shrike.html "shrike." World Encyclopedia. 2005. Retrieved May 31, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O142-shrike.html |
|
shrike
shrike / shrīk/ • n. a songbird (family Laniidae) with a strong sharply hooked bill, often impaling its prey of small birds, lizards, and insects on thorns. Also called butcherbird. |
|
|
Cite this article
"shrike." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Encyclopedia.com. 31 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "shrike." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Encyclopedia.com. (May 31, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O999-shrike.html "shrike." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Retrieved May 31, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O999-shrike.html |
|
Shrike
Shrike AGM-45 an air-to-surface antiradiation missile designed to home on and destroy radar emitters. It was introduced in the 1960s and is now largely replaced by HARM.
|
|
|
Cite this article
"Shrike." The Oxford Essential Dictionary of the U.S. Military. 2001. Encyclopedia.com. 31 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "Shrike." The Oxford Essential Dictionary of the U.S. Military. 2001. Encyclopedia.com. (May 31, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O63-Shrike.html "Shrike." The Oxford Essential Dictionary of the U.S. Military. 2001. Retrieved May 31, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O63-Shrike.html |
|
shrike
shrike XVI. of obscure orig.; corr. formations are OE. sċrīċ thrush, MLG. schrīk corncrake, rel. to vbs. cited under SHRIEK.
|
|
|
Cite this article
T. F. HOAD. "shrike." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Encyclopedia.com. 31 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. T. F. HOAD. "shrike." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Encyclopedia.com. (May 31, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O27-shrike.html T. F. HOAD. "shrike." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Retrieved May 31, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O27-shrike.html |
|
shrike
shrike
•alike, bike, dyke, haik, hike, kike, like, mic, mike, mislike, pike, psych, psyche, shrike, spike, strike, trike, tyke, Van Dyck, vandyke
•pushbike • motorbike • Klondike
•Thorndike • Updike • hitchhike
•crablike • lamblike
•fanlike, manlike, panlike
•trap-like • catlike • starlike • calf-like
•glass-like, grass-like
•branch-like • plant-like • thread-like
•gem-like • deathlike • waiflike
•vein-like • wraithlike • fiendlike
•leaf-like • dreamlike • queen-like
•sheeplike • witchlike • sylphlike
•piglike
•springlike, string-like, wing-like
•lip-like • princelike • ladylike
•businesslike • lifelike • childlike
•Christlike, vice-like
•knob-like
•godlike, rod-like
•doglike • rock-like • swanlike
•foxlike • warlike • lord-like
•horselike • globe-like
•dome-like, homelike
•ghostlike • rose-like • toylike
•root-like • tooth-like • hood-like
•wolf-like • hook-like
•wool-like • suchlike • sponge-like
•nunlike, sunlike
•dovelike • lion-like • flower-like
•soundalike • lookalike
•statesmanlike • seamanlike
•sportsmanlike • womanlike
•workmanlike • fatherlike • worm-like
•handspike • garpike • marlinspike
•turnpike
|
|
|
Cite this article
"shrike." Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes. 2007. Encyclopedia.com. 31 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "shrike." Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes. 2007. Encyclopedia.com. (May 31, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O233-shrike.html "shrike." Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes. 2007. Retrieved May 31, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O233-shrike.html |
|
Search over 100 encyclopedias and dictionaries:
HighBeam™ Research, Inc. © Copyright 2012. All rights reserved.
The Encyclopedia.com advertising network includes:
