corncraken.
/ˈkɔːnkreɪk/, U.S. /ˈkɔrnˌkreɪk/ 1. A name (originally Scottish) of the bird also called Landrail, Crex pratensis, found in summer in the British Islands; it lives concealed among standing corn and the grass of the hayfields, whence its harsh grating voice may be heard.
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the world > animals > birds > order Gruiformes > [noun] > family Rallidae (rail) > crex crex (corn-crake)
raila1450
quail?a1500
corncrakea1525
daker-hen1552
craker1698
corn-craker1703
landrail1766
crake1793
rye-crake1807
grass-drake1826
corn-rail1830
meadow crake1833
meadow gallinule1843
a1525 (c1448) R. Holland Bk. Howlat l. 782 in W. A. Craigie Asloan MS (1925) II. 119 Ye cornecrake ye pundar at hand.
1554 D. Lindsay Dialog Experience & Courteour l. 6314 in Wks. (1931) I The Cornecraik in the croft I heir hir cry.
1772 D. Barrington in Philos. Trans. (Royal Soc.) 62 318 This bird is..very common..in Ireland, where they are called corn-creaks.
1791 A. Wilson Poems (ed. 2) 164 Hoarse screams th' Corn-craik, from the dewy hay.
1829 J. L. Knapp Jrnl. Naturalist 329 The noise..reminds us of the spring call of the rail or corncrake.
1884 St. James's Gaz. 29 May 6/2 The corn-craik in the misty fields.
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2. ‘A hand-rattle with a ratchet wheel, used to frighten birds from sown seed or growing corn’ (Jamieson); also a nursery toy making a similiar grating noise.
Compounds
corncrake fly n. an anglers' fly, the wings of which are made from a quill-feather of the corncrake.
ΚΠ
1898 Westm. Gaz. 25 June 7/2 The ‘corncrake’ fly was the successful lure.
Derivatives
corncrake-like adj.
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1887 Pall Mall Gaz. 15 Feb. His flail-like movement of arm and corncrake-like voice in full action.
This entry has not yet been fully updated (first published 1893; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
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n.a1525