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thrush¹

(thrŭsh)

Any of numerous migratory songbirds of the widely distributed family Turdidae, usually having brownish upper plumage and a spotted breast and noted for a clear melodious song.

[Middle English thrushe, from Old English thrysce.]

thrush²

(thrŭsh)

1. An infection caused by a fungus, Candida albicans, that occurs most often in infants and children, characterized by small whitish eruptions on the mouth, throat, and tongue, and usually accompanied by fever, colic, and diarrhea.

2. An infection of the frog of a horse's foot, characterized by a foul-smelling discharge and often resulting from unhygienic stall conditions.

[Early Modern English, perhaps ultimately from Old English *thrusc or of medieval Scandinavian origin; akin to Danish trøske, Faroese trøska, and Swedish torsk; probably further akin to Old Irish trosc, a kind of skin disease, leper.]

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

Indo-European Roots

Semitic Roots

The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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