merle

• (UK) IPA^(key): /mɜːl/

• Audio (Southern England)

  (file)

• (US) IPA^(key): /mɝl/
• Rhymes: -ɜː(ɹ)l

From Middle English merle, from Old French merle (French merle), from Latin merula (“blackbird”) (whence the directly borrowed Middle English merule, and compare the taxonomic name Turdus merula), from Proto-Indo-European *h₂mes- (“black, blackbird”). Compare Breton moualch (“ouzel”), Welsh mwyalch (“blackbird, thrush”). Distantly related to the synonymous ouzel.

merle (plural merles)

1. The Eurasian blackbird, Turdus merula.
2. Any blackbird.

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

merle (countable and uncountable, plural merles)

1. A type of mottled coloration on dogs.
2. A dog having this coloration.

• Elmer, Lemer

Inherited from Latin merula, the word for the male blackbird being mostly female until the 16th century.[1] Probable influence of the Late Latin masculine form merulus (compare Italian merlo, Spanish mirlo).

• IPA^(key): /mɛʁl/

• Audio

  (file)

merle m (plural merles, feminine merlesse or merlette)

1. blackbird
2. Eurasian blackbird (Turdus merula)

• (blackbird): (Louisiana) tchoque, (Missouri) estorneau

• faute de grives on mange des merles
• grossier merle
• merle blanc
• merle d’Amérique

• mêler

• IPA^(key): /ˈmɛr.le/
• Rhymes: -ɛrle
• Hyphenation: mèr‧le

merle f

1. plural of merla

merle

1. Alternative form of marle