common raven
common raven Lexical Profile
• noun
A large, heavily built, entirely black passerine bird of the crow family, widely distributed across the Northern Hemisphere, characterized by its high intelligence, deep croaking call, and wedge-shaped tail.
"We observed a pair of common ravens performing intricate aerial acrobatics over the rugged Alaskan tundra."
Word Nuance & Usage
In ornithological literature, the species name is typically capitalized as Common Raven. It is often critically distinguished from the closely related crow by its significantly larger size, heavier bill, shaggy throat feathers, and wedge-shaped tail in flight.
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
The term combines 'common', from Latin 'communis' (shared, widespread), and 'raven', from Old English 'hræfn' (of Germanic origin). It denotes the most widespread species within the Corvus genus.
Usage Trend
Historical frequency of usage in published text.