lark

lark
lark1
/lahrk/, n.
1. any of numerous, chiefly Old World oscine birds, of the family Alaudidae, characterized by an unusually long, straight hind claw, esp. the skylark, Alauda arvensis.
2. any of various similar birds of other families, as the meadowlark and titlark.
[bef. 900; ME larke, OE lawerce; c. G Lerche, D leeuwerik, ON laevirki]
lark2
larker, n.larkiness, larkishness, n.larkingly, adv.larkish, larky, adj.larkishly, adv.larksome, adj.
/lahrk/, n.
1. a merry, carefree adventure; frolic; escapade.
2. innocent or good-natured mischief; a prank.
3. something extremely easy to accomplish, succeed in, or to obtain: That exam was a lark.
v.i.
4. to have fun; frolic; romp.
5. to behave mischievously; play pranks.
6. Fox Hunting. (of a rider) to take jumps unnecessarily: He tired his horse by larking on the way home.
[1805-15; orig. uncert.]

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Any of about 75 species of songbirds (family Alaudidae) found throughout the continental Old World.

Only the horned, or shore, lark (Eremophila alpestris) is native to the New World. The bill may be small and narrowly conical or long and downward-curving, and the hind claw is long and sometimes straight. The plumage is plain or streaked and closely matches the soil in colour. Its body is 5–9 in. (13–23 cm) long. Flocks of larks forage for insects and seeds on the ground. All species have a high, thin, melodious voice. See also skylark.

Horned lark (Eremophila alpestris)

Herbert Clarke

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bird
 family name Alaudidae, any of about 75 species of a songbird family (order Passeriformes). Larks occur throughout the continental Old World; only the horned, or shore, lark (Eremophila alpestris) is native to the New World. The bill is quite variable: it may be small and narrowly conical or long and downward-curving; and the hind claw is long and sometimes straight. Plumage is plain or streaked (sexes usually alike) in a colour closely matching the soil. Body length is 13 to 23 centimetres (5 to 9 inches).

      Flocks of larks forage for insects and seeds on the ground. All species have high, thin, melodious voices; in courtship the male may sing in the sky or audibly clap his wings aloft. The male Old World skylark (Alauda arvensis) is particularly noted for his rich, sustained song. The species breeds across Europe and has been introduced into Australia, New Zealand, Hawaii, and Vancouver Island, B.C.

      The name lark is also given, chiefly because of habitat, to several birds belonging to other families. See meadowlark; songlark. For fieldlark, or titlark, see pipit. For mudlark, see Grallinidae.

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Universalium. 2010.

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Look at other dictionaries:

  • Lark — Lark, n. [OE. larke, laverock, AS. l[=a]werce; akin to D. leeuwerik, LG. lewerke, OHG. l[=e]rahha, G. lerche, Sw. l[ a]rka, Dan. lerke, Icel. l[ae]virki.] (Zo[ o]l.) Any one numerous species of singing birds of the genus {Alauda} and allied… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • lark — lark; lark·i·ness; lark·ish; lark·some; tit·lark; lark·er; lark·ing·ly; lark·ish·ly; lark·ish·ness; …   English syllables

  • Lark — (engl. für Lerche) ist der Name von: Lark (Fluss), Fluss in England Lark ist der Familienname folgender Personen: Karl Lark Horovitz (1892−1958), US amerikanischer Physiker österreichischer Herkunft Maria Lark (* 1997), US amerikanische… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • lark — [ lark ] noun count 1. ) a small brown bird that is common in Europe and is known for singing while it flies 2. ) INFORMAL something that you do for fun or excitement: for a lark: We thought we d try bungee jumping for a lark. a ) blow/sod, etc.… …   Usage of the words and phrases in modern English

  • lark — Ⅰ. lark [1] ► NOUN ▪ a songbird with brown streaky plumage and a song that is delivered on the wing. ● be up with the lark Cf. ↑be up with the lark ORIGIN Old English. Ⅱ. lark …   English terms dictionary

  • lark — lark1 [lärk] n. [ME lark, laverke < OE laferce, older læwerce, akin to Ger lerche (OHG lērahha), ON lævirki (Dan lerke)] 1. any of a large family (Alaudidae) of chiefly Old World passerine birds, including the skylark and horned lark 2. any of …   English World dictionary

  • lark|y — «LAHR kee», adjective, lark|i|er, lark|i|est. Informal. carefree; frolicsome; gay: »... those oppressed with the weight of wealth as well as those larky with the lack of it (New York Times) …   Useful english dictionary

  • Lark — (l[aum]rk), n. [Perh fr. AS. l[=a]c play, sport. Cf. {Lake}, v. i.] A frolic; a jolly time. [Colloq.] Dickens. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Lark — Lark, v. i. [imp. & p. p. {Larked} (l[aum]rkt); p. pr. & vb. n. {Larking}.] To sport; to frolic. [Colloq.] [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Lark — Lark, v. i. To catch larks; as, to go larking. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Lark — es una marca de tabaco fabricada por la empresa estaunidense Philip Morris Products S. A. Lark sólo se distribuye en paquetes de 20 unidades con una única modalidad. Se caracteriza por un sabor suave. Contenido Alquitrán: 10mg Nicotina: 0,9mg CO… …   Wikipedia Español

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