Grackle
/ˈɡræk.əl/noun
Any of several black or iridescent North American birds of the blackbird family.
Did you know?The English word ultimately comes through French from Latin, where related bird names were often shaped by imitation of harsh bird calls rather than by any mystical meaning.
Etymological Timeline
Latin
Latin
graculus
“a jackdaw or similar black bird”
Old French
Old French
graille
“a crow or jackdaw”
Middle English
English
grakel
“a blackbird-like bird, especially a crow or jackdaw”
16th–17th Century
English
grackle
“an English spelling and pronunciation variant applied to dark, crowlike birds”
Modern English
English
grackle
“a New World blackbird of the genus Quiscalus or related species”