thrush

UK: /ˈθrʌʃ/ US: /θrʌʃ/ ,(thrush)

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026

thrush¹ /θrʌʃ/   n. [countable]

1. Birds a usually dull-colored songbird found in most parts of the world.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026

thrush¹ (thrush),  n. 

1. Birds any of numerous, medium-sized songbirds of the family Turdinae, usually dull brown and often speckled below, and including many outstanding singers.
2. Birds any of various superficially similar birds, as the water thrushes.
3. Slang Terms a female professional singer, esp. of popular songs.

• bef. 900; Middle English thrusche, Old English thrȳsce; cognate with Old High German drōsca

thrush′like′, adj. 

thrush² (thrush),  n. 

1. Pathology a disease, esp. in children, characterized by whitish spots and ulcers on the membranes of the mouth, fauces, etc., caused by a parasitic fungus, Candida albicans.
2. Veterinary Diseases (in horses) a diseased condition of the frog of the foot.

• akin to Danish tröske, Swedish torsk 1655–65

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

thrush / θrʌʃ/ noun

1. any songbird of the subfamily Turdinae, esp those having a brown plumage with a spotted breast, such as the mistle thrush and song thrush: family Muscicapidae
   Compare water thrush

Etymology: Old English thrӯsce; related to Old High German drōsca; see throstle, throat

thrush / θrʌʃ/ noun

1. a fungal disease of the mouth, esp of infants, and the genitals, characterized by the formation of whitish spots and caused by infection with the fungus Candida albicans
2. another word for sprue1
3. a softening of the frog of a horse's hoof characterized by degeneration and a thick foul discharge

Etymology: 17th Century: related to Old Danish törsk, Danish troske