ETYM Old Eng. and Prov. Eng. magot pie, maggoty pie, from Mag, Maggot, equiv. to Margaret, and from French Marquerite, and common name of the magpie. Marguerite is from Latin margarita pearl. Related to Pie magpie.
Long-tailed black-and-white bird that utters a chattering call.
Any bird of a genus Pica in the crow family. It feeds on insects, snails, young birds, and carrion, and is found in Europe, Asia, N Africa, and W North America.
The black-billed magpie P. pica of Eurasia and Western N America, about 45 cm/18 in long, has black and white plumage, the long tail having a metallic sheen.
1. Collected indiscriminately; miscellaneous
2. Given to indiscriminate collecting; acquisitive
Someone who collects things that have been discarded by others; SYN. scavenger, pack rat.