madge
madge Lexical Profile
madge Game Scores & Validity
• noun
British A traditional regional name for the barn owl (Tyto alba), a nocturnal bird of prey in the family Tytonidae characterized by its pale, heart-shaped facial disc and silent flight.
"In older English rural folklore, the barn owl was affectionately called a madge as it hunted silently over the twilight meadows."
British A traditional regional name for the Eurasian magpie (Pica pica), an intelligent black-and-white bird of the crow family Corvidae noted for its long tail and chattering call.
"The countryman spotted a chattering madge perched high in the hedgerow."
British A heavy lead-headed mallet or hammer formerly used by miners and stonemasons.
"The veteran miner struck the wedge firmly with a heavy madge to split the seam."
• Rhymes for madge
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
Dating back to the 16th century, "madge" originated as an anthropomorphized folk nickname derived from the female given name Madge, a diminutive of Margaret, traditionally applied in English folklore to the barn owl and the magpie.
Usage Trend
Historical frequency of usage in published text.