pied
adj.adj. having two or more different colors, usually in patches or spots.
adj. having patches of two or more colors, typically used to describe birds or animals. Often used in literary contexts or to describe specific species.
The pied bird has black and white feathers.
The pied wagtail is easily recognized by its distinctive black, white, and grey plumage.
The poet celebrated the dappled beauty of the landscape, noting the pied markings of the cattle grazing in the valley.
From archaic pie (“magpie”), from Old French pie, from Latin pica. Compare typologically Polish srokaty < sroka.
See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Typically used as an attributive adjective before a noun.
Last updated May 11, 2026