Tiding
collective noun /ˈtaɪdɪŋ/ — A group of magpies — birds historically associated with omens and secrets.
Definition
The collective noun for a group of magpies. The word echoes the old association of magpies with omens — tidings of things to come.
Beyond the definition
Magpies have always had a reputation: the folklore of counting them (one for sorrow, two for joy) reflects something unsettling about their intelligence and their gaze. A tiding of magpies carries that weight — it sounds like news you haven't heard yet.
Origin & history
From Old English tidung — news, report (from tidan: to happen). A tiding is literally 'news' — and magpies, associated with omens and secret knowledge, were the birds who brought tidings. The collective noun holds the folklore inside it.
Example sentences
Illustrative sentences for learning, not verified community posts or sourced quotations.
A tiding of magpies arrived in the garden — and she found herself involuntarily counting them.
There's something watchful about a tiding: they seem to observe more than they're observed.
Tiding is a collective noun that holds centuries of superstition in a single syllable.
How to use it
Follow this entry’s examples for grammatical form and sentence placement.
Choose “Tiding” when the meaning fits your context: The collective noun for a group of magpies. The word echoes the old association of magpies with omens — tidings of things to come.
Synonyms
flock, group, convocation
Related words
Word in the Wild
See how this word appears in life, language and stories.
Illustrative sentences and imagined stories for learning — not verified sightings, interviews, or sourced quotations.
Word in focus
A tiding of magpies
Two magpies standing together on snowy ground.
Here, “tiding” names the whole gathering. Notice the animals together rather than looking for one individual with that name. The photograph illustrates the group; it is not evidence that this particular scene inspired the expression.
Image credit: mark byzewski · CC BY 2.0 (license)
Resized and converted to WebP; displayed with a fitted crop.
Questions about this word
What does "Tiding" mean?
Tiding is collective noun meaning: A group of magpies — birds historically associated with omens and secrets.. The collective noun for a group of magpies. The word echoes the old association of magpies with omens — tidings of things to come.
Where does the word "Tiding" come from?
From Old English tidung — news, report (from tidan: to happen). A tiding is literally 'news' — and magpies, associated with omens and secret knowledge, were the birds who brought tidings. The collective noun holds the folklore inside it.