Murmuration
Definition, Meaning & Examples
Pronunciation /ˌmɝməˈɹeɪʃən/ · Part of speech noun
Quick meaning: Murmuration is a noun meaning An act or instance of murmuring.
Meaning
An act or instance of murmuring.
More Meanings
- (ornithology, collective) A flock of starlings, in particular when swarming in swirling patterns.
- An emergent order in a multi-agent social system.
Example Sentences
"Oh! I wasted most of my morning crawling to a murmuration of starlings, which I foolishly mistook for congregation of plover."
The same dynamics can be seen in starlings: On clear winter evenings, murmurations of the tiny blackish birds gather in Rome’s sunset skies, wheeling about like rustling cloth.
Professor Anne Goodenough, an applied ecologist at the University of Gloucestershire who led the research, said: ‘It appears murmuration has become the norm – a general way for the starlings to stay safe from predators.’
Word Forms
- murmurations
Synonyms for murmuration
Depending on context, synonyms include murmur, murmuring, muttering, mutter.
Related Words
Related dictionary entries include murmuring, murmur, mutter, muttering, obmurmuration, susurration.
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Sources & Attribution
FreeDictionaryAPI.com / Wiktionary · Original source · CC BY-SA 4.0
Dictionary data is provided by FreeDictionaryAPI.com and sourced from Wiktionary under its stated license.