shrillcock
A British regional dialect name for the mistle thrush (Turdus viscivorus), a large thrush known for its loud, piercing song that it delivers even in stormy weather.
Definitions
A British regional dialect name for the mistle thrush (Turdus viscivorus), a large thrush known for its loud, piercing song that it delivers even in stormy weather. The name captures the bird's most distinctive quality — its shrill, insistent call. Like many dialect bird names, it has largely been replaced by the standard English name.
The shrillcock was singing from the top of the elm before sunrise, heedless of the wind.
Comments
(UK, regional) The mistle thrush.
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🇬🇧About British & Irish slang slang
UK and Irish slang — Cockney, Scouse, Geordie, Yorkshire, Glaswegian, Brummie, Welsh, West Country, plus Irish English. Centuries of regional dialects feeding into modern British and Irish street talk.
See all British & Irish slang slang on Slangora.
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