Word
merle
Phoneticsmer·le
US/ˈmɝɫ/
UK/mˈɜːl/
Definition
n. a type of blackbird found in Europe and Asia.
n. the Eurasian blackbird, Turdus merula. Primarily used in literary or ornithological contexts.
Examples
“The puppy has a beautiful blue merle coat.”
“Breeders must be careful when working with the merle gene to avoid hearing and vision problems in the litter.”
“The striking appearance of the red merle pattern is highly sought after in working breeds, though it requires rigorous genetic testing to ensure the health of the offspring.”
Examples
simple
“The puppy has a beautiful blue merle coat.”
contextual
“Breeders must be careful when working with the merle gene to avoid hearing and vision problems in the litter.”
complex
“The striking appearance of the red merle pattern is highly sought after in working breeds, though it requires rigorous genetic testing to ensure the health of the offspring.”
Teaching tip
This sense is rare in modern conversation; 'blackbird' is the standard term used by native speakers.
Etymology
From French Merle.
English 19th-century bird name from merle (“blackbird”), possibly also a variant of Muriel, Merrill, etc.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Synonyms
Scan code
englishreference.com/q/merle