starling
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starling¹
- /ˈstɑːlɪŋ/ UK
- [ˈstɑːlɪŋ] UK
- /ˈstɑɹlɪŋ/ US
- [ˈstɑɹlɪŋ] US
Rhymes with -ɑː(ɹ)lɪŋ
Where it comes from
From Middle English starling, sterling, sterlinge, from Old English stærling, from stær (“starling”) + -ling (diminutive suffix). Cognate with Middle Dutch sterlinck (“starling”).
noun starlings · sterling
- A family, Sturnidae, of passerine birds.
-
The common starling, Sturnus vulgaris, which has dark, iridescent plumage.
Vast flights of starlings, fleeing the racket, beat across the sky at high speed, like Squall-clouds,— Evening at Noon-tide.
Similar: European starling, stare
- A fish, rock trout (Hexagrammos spp.), of the North Pacific, especially, Hexagrammos decagrammus, found in US waters.
starling²
- /ˈstɑːlɪŋ/ UK
- [ˈstɑːlɪŋ] UK
- /ˈstɑɹlɪŋ/ US
- [ˈstɑɹlɪŋ] US
Rhymes with -ɑː(ɹ)lɪŋ
Where it comes from
Apparently a variant of staddling (although difficult to account for), or perhaps an alteration by association with another (unidentified) word.
noun starlings · sterling
- An enclosure like a coffer-dam, formed of piles driven closely together before any structure or work, as a protection against the wash of waves, commonly used to protect the piers of a bridge.
- One of the piles used in forming such a breakwater.
Starling³
proper noun
- An English surname transferred from the nickname from a nickname for a gregarious person. When we had all laughed and applauded till we were faint, Starling, not to be outdone, favoured us with a more modern saltatory entertainment in the Lancashire clog manner — to the best of my belief, the longest dance ever performed […]
- A male given name transferred from the surname.
Thesaurus
Closest in meaning: sterling, carnahan, common starling, spotless starling, european starling, sturnid, rosy starling, starn, sparrow, myna, sternid, tern, bluebird, stenostirid, sparling, stork
Translations
Every language
noun bird
| Español | estornino |
|---|---|
| 日本語 | 椋鳥 mukudori |
| 中文 | 椋鳥 /椋鸟 liángniǎo |
| Português | estorninho |
| Français | étourneau |
| Deutsch | Star |
| Italiano | storno |
| Ελληνικά | ψαρόνι psaróni |
| Română | graur |
| Русский | скворе́ц skvoréc |
| العربية | زُرْزُور zurzūr |
| עברית | זַרְזִיר zarzír |
noun pilings
| Français | bec |
|---|---|
| Deutsch | Eisbrecher |
| Italiano | palificazione, palafitta |
| Русский | водоре́з vodoréz, волноре́з volnoréz, ледоре́з ledoréz |
Talk about this word "starling." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/starling. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. starling. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/starling "starling." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/starling.Cite this
@misc{starling_2026,
title = {starling},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/starling},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
