: any of a family (Sturnidae, especially genus Sturnus) of usually dark gregarious oscine birds
especially
: a dark brown or in summer glossy greenish-black European bird (S. vulgaris) naturalized nearly worldwide and often considered a pest
Examples of starling in a Sentence
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The starling succumbed to competition and predation.
—
Scott Travers, Forbes, 9 Jan. 2025
Overall, since 2022, the virus has been detected 372 times in wild birds in Michigan, including in ducks, sparrows, pigeons, starlings, swans, geese, eagles, loons, falcons, cranes, hawks, cormorants, owls and gulls.
—Jalen Williams, Detroit Free Press, 17 Dec. 2024
The songbirds, like canaries and starlings and so forth.
—Janna Levin, Quanta Magazine, 21 Nov. 2024
The starling lived with Mozart and his family for three years—apparently influencing his work and serving as his companion, his distraction, his consolation, and his muse.
—The New Yorker, 4 Nov. 2024
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Scott Travers, Forbes, 9 Jan. 2025
Overall, since 2022, the virus has been detected 372 times in wild birds in Michigan, including in ducks, sparrows, pigeons, starlings, swans, geese, eagles, loons, falcons, cranes, hawks, cormorants, owls and gulls.
—Jalen Williams, Detroit Free Press, 17 Dec. 2024
The songbirds, like canaries and starlings and so forth.
—Janna Levin, Quanta Magazine, 21 Nov. 2024
The starling lived with Mozart and his family for three years—apparently influencing his work and serving as his companion, his distraction, his consolation, and his muse.
—The New Yorker, 4 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for starling
Dictionary Entries Near starling
Cite this Entry
“Starling.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/starling. Accessed 21 Jan. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
starling
noun
star·ling
ˈstär-liŋ 
: any of a family of usually dark-colored birds that tend to flock together
especially
: a dark brown or in summer glossy greenish black European bird that has been brought to the U.S. and is often considered a pest
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