starling
noun
star·ling
| \ ˈstär-liŋ
\
\
Definition of starling
: any of a family (Sturnidae, especially genus Sturnus) of usually dark gregarious oscine birds
especially
: a dark brown or in summer glossy greenish-black European bird (S. vulgaris) naturalized nearly worldwide and often considered a pest
Examples of starling in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
In contrast, open-ended learners, like the European starling, have very long learning windows. — Cristina Robinson, The Conversation, "Complex birdsongs help biologists piece together the evolution of lifelong learning," 3 Sep. 2019 People dress in costumes to represent facets of life in the vineyards: insects like ants and grasshoppers; or pests like raisin-pecking starlings; young lovers frolicking among the vines; droughts and storms that confound winegrowers. — Jamey Keaten, chicagotribune.com, "Swiss celebrate once-in-a-generation winegrowers’ fest," 24 July 2019 Hello glossy starlings and welcome back to another edition of This Week in Timothée Chalamet. — Cady Drell, Marie Claire, "This Week in Timothée Chalamet, September 7 Edition," 7 Sep. 2018 People dress in costumes to represent facets of life in the vineyards: insects like ants and grasshoppers; or pests like raisin-pecking starlings; young lovers frolicking among the vines; droughts and storms that confound winegrowers. — Jamey Keaten, chicagotribune.com, "Swiss celebrate once-in-a-generation winegrowers’ fest," 24 July 2019 People dress in costumes to represent facets of life in the vineyards: insects like ants and grasshoppers; or pests like raisin-pecking starlings; young lovers frolicking among the vines; droughts and storms that confound winegrowers. — Washington Post, "Swiss celebrate once-in-a-generation winegrowers’ festival," 19 July 2019 The owl, not yet fledged, grabbed Bonnie’s shoulder as the starling launched from the top of her head and wildly into the air, only to return to the safety of the teenager’s loose hair. — Tribune News Service, oregonlive.com, "The Man in the Window: Is this the childhood of a serial killer? (Part One)," 22 June 2019 Shockingly, the starlings heavily preferred the informative, lower-reward button. — Sofia Deleniv, Discover Magazine, "When Ignorance Is Bliss," 19 Mar. 2019 In 1949 Konrad Lorenz, an Austrian biologist, recommended fish, hamsters, bullfinches and starlings as excellent pets. — The Economist, "Pet-ownership is booming across the world," 22 June 2019These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'starling.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for starling
starling
noun
English Language Learners Definition of starling
: a dark brown or black bird that is common in Europe and the U.S.
See the full definition for starling in the English Language Learners Dictionary
starling
noun
star·ling
| \ ˈstär-liŋ
\
\
Kids Definition of starling
: a dark brown or greenish black European bird that is now common in the United States
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