(n.) Any one numerous species of singing birds of the genus Alauda and allied genera (family Alaudidae). 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.
(v. i.) To catch larks; as, to go larking.
Example Sentences:
(1) Owls were more hypnotizable than larks in the morning, and larks were also significantly more hypnotizable in the evening than owls.
(2) The three young men were trying to get to grips with a troubling scene in which they lark about with a baby in its pram, poking it, pulling off its nappy, goading each other until they stone it to death.
(3) Imitating the white, vaudeville television love-to-hate wrestler Gorgeous George, his forecasts bragged the precise round he was going to win, sometimes combining such box-office larks with couplets of doggerel.
(4) Explaining why they continue to increase the size of the UN consolidated appeal each year, despite not acheiving full funding year-on-year, Larke said: “We base our ask on the real needs we assess, not on the money we expect to get - to do so the other way round would be dishonest.
(5) This is Ferguson in his element, larking about with a world-class footballer whose development he has overseen from the star's late teenage years.
(6) Lacking self-confidence and plagued by ill-health, she was hospitalised several times during the 1950s, and took failure hard, blaming herself in particular for the lack of success of Jean Anouilh's The Lark, in which she starred as St Joan in 1955.
(7) I look at my Instagram the week before [the tweets], and I was happy as a lark.
(8) And all three looked as if they were ready to Snapchat their larking pose to all their schoolfriends.
(9) It’s not just readers who nonetheless see North Korea as a bit of a lark.
(10) Someone suggested speaking to a newsagent in Lark Lane, others a supermarket in Lodge Lane that reflects the multi-ethnic nature of Toxteth.
(11) Thinking it was quite a lark we joined in and the ensuing 10-minute interval on the hallowed turf was a carnival atmosphere with much fun had by all, the highlight being the conga lines dancing to the chant of 'Bulstrode is a wanker'.
(12) We see the upturned faces of the soldiers as they look for the larks in one of Rosenberg's most famous poems, "Returning, We Hear the Larks".
(13) Studies of Maaløe, Lark, and others with amino acid- and thymine-starved cultures revealed successive steps in the biosynthesis of Escherichia coli chromosomes.
(14) Among the rareties: ivory gull, sharp-tailed sandpiper, lark sparrow and warblers from every corner of the western hemisphere.
(15) Ah, another opportunity for Hairy Dave to lark about the dancefloor in a comedy fashion.
(16) It’s quite probable that a large number of these “signatures” are some combination of a lark and the same yahoos signing multiple times.
(17) * A soft siffle, high in the air like a distant lark, or the note of a penny whistle, faint and falling.
(18) Then Antiques Roadshow drew 6.92 million (26.4%) in the next hour, while Lark Rise to Candleford had 6.31 million (23%) in the 8pm hour.
(19) I fantasise that maybe one of those people will read the article and think "I'm going to give this gaming lark a try" and that they will buy a console on their way home from work, and that it'll change their life for the better.
(20) Seemingly spontaneous holiday larks abound; we're one puddle of purple vomit away from the dream Brits abroad weekend.
Larkspur
Definition:
(n.) A genus of ranunculaceous plants (Delphinium), having showy flowers, and a spurred calyx. They are natives of the North Temperate zone. The commonest larkspur of the gardens is D. Consolida. The flower of the bee larkspur (D. elatum) has two petals bearded with yellow hairs, and looks not unlike a bee.
Example Sentences:
(1) Rumen liquor collected sequentially from a fistulated cow dosed with dried Delphinium geyeri did not vary in ability to metabolize larkspur alkaloids.
(2) Sheep were the most susceptible to poisoning by subcutaneous injection of larkspur extract with decreasing susceptibility in hamsters, mice and rats, but sheep had least susceptibility when comparing response to oral (by gavage) doses.
(3) The LD50 for subcutaneous injection and for oral gavage of extract from Delphinium barbeyi, a highly toxic and troublesome rangeland tall larkspur, was compared for mice, hamsters, rats and sheep.
(4) Larkspur consumption is a major source of cattle losses on mountain and high plains rangelands of western North America.
(5) Heifers from one averted group (extinction) were paired with nonaverted controls and offered larkspur.
(6) Larkspur (Delphinium sp) poisoning of range cattle is a serious, recurring problem in the western United States.
(7) Twelve Hereford heifers were infused with larkspur extract (group 1, n = 4), lithium chloride solution (group 2, n = 4), or sodium chloride solution (group 3, n = 4).
(8) Heifers were then taken to larkspur-infested rangeland.
(9) They were further compared in the field to determine whether the indigenous larkspur alkaloids were more effective in maintaining the aversion when conditioned cattle were subjected to the social pressure (social facilitation) of control cattle eating larkspur.
(10) After the control heifers began eating larkspur, the averted heifers started to sample it and the aversion was extinguished in three of four heifers.
(11) Emaciation and temporary illness from sneezeweeds, bitterweed, locoweed, larkspur, lupines, and others may interfere with mating.
(12) When the extinction group sampled larkspur, and LiCl was not infused, the aversion was extinguished rapidly.
(13) A technique was developed for estimating the toxicity for rats of an alcoholic extraction product from larkspur (Delphinium barbeyi Huth).
(14) Research reported herein was undertaken to further evaluate whether differences in ovine and bovine rumen metabolism might explain differences in susceptibility to larkspur intoxication and whether existing metabolic activity can be enhanced by sustained exposure to Delphinium alkaloids.
(15) The route starts at Schofield Pass, 14 miles north-west of town, and follows the east fork of the Crystal river through meadows of waist-high columbine, larkspur and lupin.
(16) Ingestion rate of larkspur by the cow, alkaloid toxicity and concentration in the plant and the kinetics of absorption and excretion interact to determine whether a cow is poisoned.
(17) Larkspur poisoning is a major cause of acute death of cattle on mountain and high plains rangelands of western United States.
(18) All groups were then taken to larkspur-infested rangeland to test the aversion in the field.
(19) We conclude that, of the animals tested, mice would be the best choice for a bioassay of the toxicity of larkspur because of their high susceptibility, rapid response time, and small dose requirement.
(20) The effect of larkspur poisoning can be exacerbated temporarily by exertion.