merle

See also: Merle

English

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /mɜːl/

• Audio (Southern England):

  (file)

• (US) IPA^(key): /mɝl/
• Rhymes: -ɜː(ɹ)l

Etymology 1

From Middle English merle, from Old French merle (French merle), from Latin merula (“blackbird”) (whence the directly borrowed Middle English merule, and compare the taxonomic name Turdus merula), from Proto-Indo-European *h₂mes- (“black, blackbird”). Compare Breton moualch (“ouzel”), Welsh mwyalch (“blackbird, thrush”). Distantly related to the synonymous ouzel.

Noun

merle (plural merles)

1. The Eurasian blackbird, Turdus merula.
2. Any blackbird.

Translations

The Eurasian blackbird, Turdus merula

• Bulgarian: кос (bg) m (kos)
• Polish: kos (pl) m, kos zwyczajny m

Etymology 2

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

Noun

merle (countable and uncountable, plural merles)

1. A type of mottled coloration on dogs.
2. A dog having this coloration.

Anagrams

• Elmer, Lemer

French

Etymology

Inherited from Latin merula, the word for the male blackbird being mostly female until the 16th century. Probable influence of the Late Latin masculine form merulus (compare Italian merlo, Spanish mirlo).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /mɛʁl/

• Audio:

  (file)

Noun

merle m (plural merles, feminine merlesse or merlette)

1. blackbird
2. Eurasian blackbird (Turdus merula)

Synonyms

• (blackbird): (Louisiana) tchoque, (Missouri) estorneau

Derived terms

• faute de grives on mange des merles
• grossier merle
• merle blanc
• merle d’Amérique

Anagrams

• mêler

Italian

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈmɛr.le/
• Rhymes: -ɛrle
• Hyphenation: mèr‧le

Noun

merle f

1. plural of merla

Middle English

Noun

merle

1. Alternative form of marle