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merle

blackbird

noun MEHRLL Rare

Usage Note

Merle refers to the common Eurasian blackbird (Turdus merula), a garden songbird whose flute-like call is widely admired. The idiom un merle blanc (a white blackbird) describes something extremely rare or a person who is one of a kind. The female bird is called la merlette.

Examples

"Le merle chante dans le jardin dès l'aube."

Natural Translation

The blackbird sings in the garden at dawn.

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