MERLE

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does merle mean? 

• MERLE (noun)
  The noun MERLE has 1 sense:

1. common black European thrush

  Familiarity information: MERLE used as a noun is very rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• MERLE (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Common black European thrush

Classified under:

Nouns denoting animals

Synonyms:

blackbird; European blackbird; merl; merle; ousel; ouzel; Turdus merula

Hypernyms ("merle" is a kind of...):

thrush (songbirds characteristically having brownish upper plumage with a spotted breast)

Holonyms ("merle" is a member of...):

genus Turdus; Turdus (type genus of the Turdidae)

 Context examples 

The coat is colored in a merle or black/tan pattern.

(Catahoula Leopard Dog, NCI Thesaurus)

Coat colors are blue, gray, blue gray or blue merle, often with white markings, or white with markings of the darker colors.

(Old English Sheepdog, NCI Thesaurus)

They both come in sable and white, tri-color (black, white and tan), blue merle or predominantly white with sable, tri-color or blue merle markings.

(Collie, NCI Thesaurus)

The coat comes in blue merle, red (liver) merle, solid black and solid red (liver) all with or without white markings and/or tan (copper) points.

(Australian Shepherd, NCI Thesaurus)

Colors are brindle, blue merle, black, black and tan, black and brindle, sable, and red, often with white markings.

(Cardigan Welsh Corgi, NCI Thesaurus)