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The Feathered History of Piebald
To many people, the noisy black and white birds that go by the scientific name Pica pica—better known as magpies—are nothing but pests. But the Latin root that was adopted for their name isn't a linguistic nuisance; it played an important role in the development of piebald. The pie of piebald (pie is another name for a magpie) derives from pica, which is Latin for "magpie." The other part of piebald comes from the word bald, which can mean "marked with white"; it can also be found in skewbald, an adjective used to describe animals marked with patches of white and any other color but black.
Examples of piebald in a Sentence
Jane Onyanga-Omara, USA Today, 16 May 2025
Wildlife fans have a better chance of spotting a piebald elk in Colorado than just about anywhere else.
—Amanda Kooser, Forbes.com, 15 May 2025
Also this week, rangers at a park in Pittsburgh spotted a piebald robin, reports CBS Pittsburgh’s Madeline Bartos.
—Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 15 May 2025
In a May 12 post on Facebook, Colorado Parks and Wildlife shared photos of a cow elk with a rare piebald coat that has been spotted around Estes Park, the town just outside of Rocky Mountain National Park.
—Brooke Baitinger, Sacbee.com, 13 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for piebald
Cite this Entry
“Piebald.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/piebald. Accessed 4 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
piebald
1 of 2 adjective
piebald
2 of 2 noun
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