magpie
UK: ˈmaɡpaɪ | US: ˈmæɡˌpaɪ
n. a long-tailed crow with black-and-white plumage and a noisy, chattering call
n. (figurative) a person who collects or hoards objects, especially of little value
n. (archaic) a person who talks incessantly
The word "magpie" combines "Mag," a diminutive of "Margaret," historically used to describe a chatterbox (reflecting the bird’s noisy nature), and "pie," from Latin pica, meaning a black-and-white bird. The name humorously anthropomorphizes the bird’s vocal habits. Over time, "magpie" also came to describe hoarders, inspired by the bird’s habit of collecting shiny objects.
A magpie perched on the fence, its iridescent feathers gleaming in the sunlight.
She’s a magpie for vintage postcards, filling her drawers with them.
The old man was called a magpie for his endless gossip.
Magpies are known to mimic human speech in captivity.
The garden was alive with the chattering of magpies at dawn.