Word
thrush
US/ˈθɹəʃ/
UK/θɹˈʌʃ/
Definition
n. a common name for several types of small birds with beautiful songs, like the blackbird or the song thrush. It can also describe a type of infection in the mouth or throat.
n. a common name for several species of small passerine birds, particularly those of the family Turdidae, known for their melodic songs. In a medical context, it refers to a fungal infection of the mucous membranes, most commonly caused by Candida.
Examples
“The song thrush sings beautifully in the garden every morning.”
“The doctor diagnosed a case of oral thrush and prescribed an antifungal cream to apply twice daily.”
“While the thrush is a beloved symbol of the English countryside, its population has declined significantly due to the loss of hedgerows and the use of chemical pesticides.”
Examples
simple
“The song thrush sings beautifully in the garden every morning.”
contextual
“The doctor diagnosed a case of oral thrush and prescribed an antifungal cream to apply twice daily.”
complex
“While the thrush is a beloved symbol of the English countryside, its population has declined significantly due to the loss of hedgerows and the use of chemical pesticides.”
Real-World Examples
“Skuas and frigatebirds steal from other seabirds; masked shrikes steal food from wheatears; and Eurasian blackbirds have been seen stealing smashed snails from thrushes.” Etymology
From Middle English thrusche, þrusch, þresche, from a combination of Old English þrysċe (from Proto-Germanic þruskijǭ, a diminutive of Proto-Germanic þruskō) and Old English þræsċe (from Proto-Germanic þrauskǭ and/or þrastuz); all from Proto-Indo-European *trosdos (“thrush”). Cognate with German Drossel, Old Norse þrǫstr, Latin turdus, Lithuanian strazdas (“thrush”), Middle Irish truid, Welsh drudwy (“starling”), Old Church Slavonic дрозгъ (drozgŭ), Russian дрозд (drozd).
Uncertain, though likely not related to the "bird" sense of Etymology 1; perhaps compare Icelandic þröstur, Danish torsk, Norwegian trøske. Perhaps also related to Old French fourchette (“frog of a horse's hoof”).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Scan code
englishreference.com/q/thrush