[syn: New World oriole, American oriole, oriole]
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:
Oriole \O"ri*ole\, n. [OF. oriol, oriouz, orieus, F. loriot (for
l'oriol), fr. L. aureolus golden, dim. of aureus golden, fr.
aurum gold. Cf. Aureole, Oriel, Loriot.] (Zool.)
(a) Any one of various species of Old World singing birds of
the family Oriolidae. They are usually conspicuously
colored with yellow and black. The European or golden
oriole (Oriolus galbula, or Oriolus oriolus) has a
very musical flutelike note.
(b) In America, any one of several species of the genus
Icterus, belonging to the family Icteridae. See
Baltimore oriole, and Orchard oriole, under
Orchard.
[1913 Webster]
Crested oriole. (Zool.) See Cassican.
[1913 Webster]
WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006):
oriole
n 1: mostly tropical songbird; the male is usually bright orange
and black [syn: Old World oriole, oriole]
2: American songbird; male is black and orange or yellow [syn:
New World oriole, American oriole, oriole]