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lyrebird

noun
lyre·​bird | \ ˈlÄ«(-É™)r-ËŒbÉ™rd How to pronounce lyrebird (audio) \

Definition of lyrebird

: either of two Australian passerine birds (genus Menura) distinguished in the male by very long tail feathers displayed in the shape of a lyre during courtship

Illustration of lyrebird

Illustration of lyrebird

Examples of lyrebird in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

 The team noticed that species with particularly ancient lineages, such as lyrebirds, scrub-birds and New Zealand wrens, still build roofed structures—suggesting that ancestral passerine nests were domed. — Kat Long, Scientific American, "Bird Nests Used to Look More Like Fortresses," 1 May 2017 Briefly, another fascinating surprise was the propensity of ravens to mimic human sounds, much like parrots or lyrebirds do. — James Floyd Kelly, WIRED, "Book Review and Author Interview: Kill Decision by Daniel Suarez," 12 July 2012

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'lyrebird.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of lyrebird

1834, in the meaning defined above

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More from Merriam-Webster on lyrebird

Rhyming Dictionary: Words that rhyme with lyrebird

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about lyrebird

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