lanius ludovicianus

2 definitions found

lanius ludovicianus - Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 :

  Loggerhead \Log"ger*head`\, n. [Log + head.]
     1. A blockhead; a dunce; a numskull. --Shak. Milton.
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     2. A spherical mass of iron, with a long handle, used to heat
        tar.
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     3. (Naut.) An upright piece of round timber, in a whaleboat,
        over which a turn of the line is taken when it is running
        out too fast. --Ham. Nav. Encyc.
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     4. (Zool.) A very large marine turtle (Thalassochelys  caretta
         syn. Thalassochelys caouana), common in the
        warmer parts of the Atlantic Ocean, from Brazil to Cape
        Cod; -- called also logger-headed turtle.
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     5. (Zool.) An American shrike (Lanius Ludovicianus),
        similar to the butcher bird, but smaller. See Shrike.
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     To be at loggerheads, To fall to loggerheads, or To go to loggerheads
     , to quarrel; to be at strife. --L' Estrange.
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  butcher bird \butcher bird\, butcher-bird \butcher-bird\,
  butcherbird \butcherbird\n.
     1. (Zool.) any species of shrike of the genus Lanius, so
        called because they impale their prey on thorns.
        [1913 Webster + WordNet 1.5]
  
     2. (Zool.) large carnivorous Australian bird with the
        shrikelike habit of impaling prey on thorns.
        [WordNet 1.5]
  
     Note: The Lanius excubitor is the common butcher bird of
           Europe. In England, the bearded tit is sometimes called
           the lesser butcher bird. The American species are
           Lanius borealis, or northern butcher bird, and
           Lanius Ludovicianus or loggerhead shrike. The name
           butcher bird is derived from its habit of suspending
           its prey impaled upon thorns, after killing it.
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