lark Meaning, Definition & Usage

noun North American songbirds having a yellow breast
meadowlark.
noun a songbird that lives mainly on the ground in open country; has streaky brown plumage
pipit; titlark.
noun any of numerous predominantly Old World birds noted for their singing
noun any carefree episode
escapade.
verb play boisterously
disport; rollick; cavort; romp; run around; skylark; sport; frisk; lark about; frolic; gambol.
- The children frolicked in the garden
- the gamboling lambs in the meadows
- The toddlers romped in the playroom

Perh fr. AS. lac play, sport. Cf. Lake, v. i.

imperfect & past participle Larked ; present participle & verbal noun Larking

OE. larke, laverock, AS. lawerce; akin to D. leeuwerik, LG. lewerke, OHG. lrahha, G. lerche, Sw. lärka, Dan. lerke, Icel. lævirki.

(Zoöl.) Any one numerous species of singing birds of the genus Alauda and allied genera (family Alaudidæ). They mostly belong to Europe, Asia, and Northern Africa. In America they are represented by the shore larks, or horned by the shore larks, or horned larks, of the genus Otocoris. The true larks have holaspidean tarsi, very long hind claws, and usually, dull, sandy brown colors. ✍ The European skylark, or lark of the poets (Alauda arvensis), is of a brown mottled color, and is noted for its clear and sweet song, uttered as it rises and descends almost perpendicularly in the air. It is considered a table delicacy, and immense numbers are killed for the markets. Other well-known European species are the crested, or tufted, lark (Alauda cristata), and the wood lark (A. arborea). The pipits, or titlarks, of the genus Anthus (family Motacillidæ) are often called larks. See Pipit. The American meadow larks, of the genus Sturnella, are allied to the starlings. See Meadow Lark. The Australian bush lark is Mirafra Horsfieldii. See Shore lark.