Pronunciations (2)
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/ˌmɝməˈɹeɪʃən/
Pronunciation notes
- General-American
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/ˌmɜːməˈɹeɪʃən/
Pronunciation notes
- Received-Pronunciation
Noun
An act or instance of murmuring.
Usage- Countable
- Uncountable
A flock of starlings, in particular when swarming in swirling patterns.
Usage- collective
- Countable
- Uncountable
- Examples
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"Oh! I wasted most of my morning crawling to a murmuration of starlings, which I foolishly mistook for congregation of plover."
More examples (2)
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.’
An emergent order in a multi-agent social system.
Usage- Countable
- Uncountable
Noun
a low continuous indistinct sound; often accompanied by movement of the lips without the production of articulate speech
- Broader terms