Mockingbird

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ˈmɒkɪŋbɜːd/

Definitions

1. A bird species renowned for its exceptional skill in mimicking the sounds made by other birds and environmental noises
2. This species is distinguished by its impressive vocal abilities, particularly in replicating the calls of different birds and other sounds
3. A type of avian known for its remarkable talent in imitating various bird calls and other auditory phenomena found in its surroundings

Etymology: The mockingbird gets its name from a simple fact about its behaviour: it mocks. Its song is a mixture of its own notes and the calls of other birds, and it can copy sounds from the natural world and beyond. The bird is famous for this mimicry, and that is the whole of the name's logic. The word is a plain compound of "mocking" and "bird," with "mocking" meaning to imitate or ridicule. The name describes what the bird does rather than being borrowed from another language or coined for a special purpose, so there is no hidden story behind its formation. The bird has a further trait that its name hints at: in some cases it hums as a wake-up call, adding a sound of its own to the chorus. The name carries that behaviour as well as the imitation.

Synonyms: songbird