(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.
Skylark
Definition:
(n.) A lark that mounts and sings as it files, especially the common species (Alauda arvensis) found in Europe and in some parts of Asia, and celebrated for its melodious song; -- called also sky laverock. See under Lark.
Example Sentences:
(1) We were excited and looking forward to having a field behind with cow parsley and skylarks.
(2) I once saw a merlin above Burgh Castle spiral in a relentless tight corkscrew as it pursued a skylark that steepled until it was only a dust mote.
(3) The skylark’s summer song is reduced in winter to spits of rage, each broken chirrup rendered to human ears as “get lost!” or something far ruder.
(4) Common bird species such as sparrow and skylark facing decline in Europe Read more The report will embolden campaigners opposed to plans by the European Commission to review two key pieces of environmental legislation - the birds and habitats directives.
(5) The skylark is not the only bird whose sound has influenced generations of poets, writers and composers.
(6) But when future generations download the recordings, and listen to skylarks and nightingales, cuckoos and turtle doves, will they feel a twinge of sadness that these species are no longer with us?
(7) "The fans here are rabid," wrote a user called Skylark .
(8) It seemed as though the fields were shedding skylarks.
(9) As the skylarks fly away, I become aware of a rapid movement along the tideline.
(10) Click here to watch skylark song video Poets and composers have long been mesmerised by the skylark's song, including Shelley, whose Ode to a Skylark opens with the unforgettable pronouncement: " Hail to thee, blithe spirit!
(11) Skylarks are smallish, brown birds with a perky crest and streaky plumage.
(12) Species with larger brain areas that were capable of producing a higher repertoire of syllables included the common blackbird (108 syllables) and the Eurasian skylark (341 syllables).
(13) After several months padding along under those great blue skies, with skylarks apparently forever overhead, came the great test: six weeks alone across the Gobi desert with just my three camels – no phone, no contact with the outside world, no one to know even if I was still alive.
(14) David Adam on the decline of Britain's skylarks and other bird species Read more Two skylarks among a flock of six had begun a chase-my-tail routine over a field of winter wheat.
(15) Science has demonstrated that each skylark needs to find the equivalent of 200 grains of wheat a day to survive cold weather, but here they were apparently frittering away their energy.
(16) Numbers of skylark and ortolan bunting, a songbird illegally hunted and eaten whole in France, have fallen by around half.
(17) Yet no matter how fast and adroitly it jinked and weaved, the pursuing bird held to its tail, maintaining a two-skylark-length distance between them, never closing, never lagging, seeming content with matching every turn of its harried opponent.
(18) The EU State of Nature report, seen by the Guardian, paints a picture of dramatic decline among once common avian species such as the skylark and turtle dove mainly as a result of agricultural pressures, and also warns that ecosystems are struggling to cope with the impact of human activity.
(19) For us, a winter’s day may not have the exhilaration of the skylark’s steepling song flight, but we still thrill to vignettes from this glorious show-off.
(20) In their short lives skylarks had seen it all before, the frequent transformations of their landscapes.