oriole Meaning, Definition & Usage

  1. noun mostly tropical songbird; the male is usually bright orange and black
    Old World oriole.
  2. noun American songbird; male is black and orange or yellow
    American oriole; New World oriole.

WordNet

O"ri*ole noun
Etymology
OF. oriol, oriouz, orieus, F. loriot (for l'oriol), fr. L. aureolus golden, dim. of aureus golden, fr. aurum gold. Cf. Aureole, Oriel, Loriot.
Definitions
  1. (Zoöl.) (a) Any one of various species of Old World singing birds of the family Oriolidæ. They are usually conspicuously colored with yellow and black. The European or golden oriole (Oriolus galbula, or O. oriolus) has a very musical flutelike note. (b) In America, any one of several species of the genus Icterus, belonging to the family Icteridæ. See Baltimore oriole, and Orchard oriole, under Orchard.

Webster 1913