blackbird

4 definitions found

blackbird - Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 :

  Blackbird \Black"bird\, n.
     1. Among slavers and pirates, a negro or Polynesian. [Cant,
        pejorative]
        [Webster 1913 Suppl.]
  
     2. A native of any of the islands near Queensland; -- called
        also Kanaka. [Australia, pejorative]
        [Webster 1913 Suppl.]

  Blackbird \Black"bird\ (bl[a^]k"b[~e]rd), v. i.
     to engage in the slave trade. [Colloq.]
     [PJC]

  Blackbird \Black"bird\ (bl[a^]k"b[~e]rd), n. (Zool.)
     In England, a species of thrush (Turdus merula), a singing
     bird with a fin note; the merle. In America the name is given
     to several birds, as the Quiscalus versicolor, or crow
     blackbird; the Agel[ae]us ph[oe]niceus, or red-winged
     blackbird; the cowbird; the rusty grackle, etc. See
     Redwing.
     [1913 Webster]

blackbird - WordNet (r) 2.1 (2005) :

  blackbird
      n 1: any bird of the family Icteridae whose male is black or
           predominantly black [syn: New World blackbird,
           blackbird]
      2: common black European thrush [syn: blackbird, merl,
         merle, ouzel, ousel, European blackbird, Turdus   merula
         ]