shrike

/ˈʃraɪk/

Definitions

1. noun

any of several birds of the family Laniidae, having a strong, hooked beak and a long tail.

“The shrike perched on the fencepost, singing its haunting melody.”

2. verb

to eat or kill (small animals) by impaling them on thorns or barbed wire, as some birds do.

“The shrike had shrike the mouse on a thorn bush.”

Synonyms

  • bird of prey
  • laniid
  • sparrowhawk

Antonyms

  • songbird