magpie

noun

1. One of several kinds of bird in the family Corvidae, especially Pica pica.
2. A superficially similar Australian bird, Gymnorhina tibicen, in the family Artamidae.
3. (figuratively)Someone who displays a magpie-like quality such as hoarding or stealing objects.

   “Not only is Mr. Booker a voracious magpie (who does not always acknowledge the sources of his ideas), but he also turns out to be an annoyingly biased and didactic one.”

4. (slang)A fan or member of Newcastle United F.C.
5. (UK)In the sport of fullbore target rifle, the third circle on a target, between the inner and outer.
6. (UK, obsolete, slang)A halfpenny.
7. (attributive)A pattern resembling the pied plumage of a magpie.

   “Kitty and I were engaged. The next day I met those accursed “magpie” Jhampanies at the back of Jakko, and, moved by some passing sentiment of pity, stopped to tell Mrs. Wessington everything.”

   “The worst part of my experience in this magpie livery was yet to come, for I was to appear in it the next day at church.”

8. Someone connected with Newcastle United Football Club, as a fan, player, coach, etc.
9. Someone connected with Notts County Football Club, as a fan, player, coach, etc.
10. Someone connected with Collingwood Football Club, as a fan, player, coach, etc.
11. Someone connected with the Western Suburbs Magpies, as a fan, player, coach, etc.
12. A town in the City of Ballarat, central western Victoria, Australia.

verb

1. (transitive)To mark with patches of black and white or light and dark.

   “The little rail-enclosed plots that lay between the pavements and the hotels were magpied with torn paper […]”

   “[…] she stood at the window and saw the lake blue with spring and a few patches of snow that magpied the hills.”

   “[…] they looked down upon Highmost Redmanhey, timber and plaster magpied by the moon, and a lamp in the window of the room where Susan lay.”

   “[…] young Inspector Cruse arrived at the Dun Cow, entering through a door tricked out as Tudor and set into a façade magpied with white paint and nailed-on beams […]”

2. (ambitransitive)To steal or hoard (items) as magpies are believed to do.

   “[…] she liked to be able to have a picturesque fact or two with which to support herself when she too, to hold attention, wanted to issue moving statements as to revolutions, anarchies and strife in the offing. And she had noticed that when she magpied Tietjens’ conversations more serious men in responsible positions were apt to argue with her and to pay her more attention than before....”

   ““I had to borrow those photographs Aunt Nettie was storing in her closet.” “Isn’t that interesting?” May said. “I have to say, I never did understand why Mrs. Hatch asked me to magpie them out of the library.””

   “I have magpied from here and there, borrowing influences from Morocco, Greece, Italy and my notebooks to end up with a handful of easy little dishes that complement each other.”

3. (intransitive)To talk idly; to talk about other people's private business.

   “He knew how people were magpieing with their malicious chatter that she had committed the cardinal sin of believing love was permanent […]”