meadowlark

noun

mead·​ow·​lark ˈme-dō-ˌlärk How to pronounce meadowlark (audio)
-də-
: any of several American songbirds (genus Sturnella of the family Icteridae) that are streaked brown above and in northernmost forms have a yellow breast marked with a black crescent

Illustration of meadowlark

Illustration of meadowlark

Examples of meadowlark in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Birders will wear out their binoculars scanning for the dozens of species found at the park including meadowlark, summer tanager, northern shoveler and wood duck. Roger Naylor, The Arizona Republic, 7 Mar. 2024 Soon the summer meadows will be filled with the symphony of the meadowlarks. Ernie Cowan, San Diego Union-Tribune, 4 Feb. 2024 Typically, the male western meadowlark breaks into song as the breeding season approaches in late spring and summer. Ernie Cowan, San Diego Union-Tribune, 4 Feb. 2024 Western meadowlark The western meadowlark is Nebraska's state bird. Olivia Munson, USA TODAY, 25 July 2023 The white feathers of a meadowlark’s tail flashed through the tall grass. Bob Timmons, Star Tribune, 31 July 2020 Birds and ducks appeared in the sky after long, isolated winters with no visitors and 40-below nights; those first arrivals of mallards, western meadowlarks, and robins were essential to my sanity. Gretel Ehrlich, The Atlantic, 2 May 2020 Thrushes and meadowlarks and black-and-white kingbirds chatter and flit, and on hazy summer evenings, the hills soften to purple and gray. Andrew McKean, Outdoor Life, 16 Apr. 2020 Who will stop his mower for an hour to splint the broken leg of a meadowlark. New York Times, 31 Mar. 2020

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'meadowlark.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1611, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of meadowlark was in 1611

Dictionary Entries Near meadowlark

Cite this Entry

“Meadowlark.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/meadowlark. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

meadowlark

noun
mead·​ow·​lark -ˌlärk How to pronounce meadowlark (audio)
: any of several North American songbirds that are largely brown and buff above with a yellow breast having a black V-shaped mark across it

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