wagtail
pronunciation
How to pronounce wagtail in British English:
UK [ˈwægteɪl]
How to pronounce wagtail in American English:
US [ˈwæɡˌtel]
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- Noun:
- Old World bird having a very long tail that jerks up and down as it walks
Word Origin
- wagtail (n.)
- c. 1500, kind of small bird that has its tail in continuous motion (late 12c. as a surname), earlier wagstart (mid-15c.), from wag (v.) + tail (n.). From 18c. as "a harlot," but this sense seems to be implied much earlier: If therefore thou make not thy mistress a goldfinch, thou mayst chance to find her a wagtaile. [Lyly, "Midas," 1592]