Definitions
from The Century Dictionary.
- noun A raven or crow.
from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.
- noun (Zoöl.), Scot. The raven.
- noun (her.) A raven, crow, or chough, used as a charge.
- noun [Scot.] the carrion crow.
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
- noun
raven ,crow
Etymologies
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License
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Examples
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The road from the railway-station to the centre of the town is commonplace indeed in its lack of picturesque Flemish house-fronts or stepped, "corbie," Flemish gables.
Beautiful Europe: Belgium Joseph Ernest Morris
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It stands on the lower "corbie" step of a pigeon-house, with the strange accompaniment of a pair of "jougs," an iron collar for securing a prisoner.
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It seems unlikely that the Scots had a legend like the Greek one concerning the evil "corbie" or raven messenger to Apollo about his false lady-love, but no other explanation suggests itself.
St. Ronan's Well Walter Scott 1801
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Greek one concerning the evil “corbie” or raven messenger to
Saint Ronan's Well 2008
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It is a great red-brick house – that is, the front is of brick, with corbie steps on the gables and a text over the door; but the courtyard into which the omnibus drives is of black and white wood and plaster.
Number 13 by M. R. James | Solar Flare: Science Fiction News 2004
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"If you knew that old corbie was here, why didn't we come back and end his breath?"
Wizard and Glass King, Stephen 1997
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I reached the end of the plank, grasped firmly the coping of the corbie-step, pulled myself up and felt for firm footing in the lead gutter of the roof below.
Border Ghost Stories Howard Pease
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The 'land' stood in the narrowest part of the wynd; right opposite, and not more than five feet away rose the opposite wall, finishing off into a gable end with corbie-steps affording easy access to the further roof.
Border Ghost Stories Howard Pease
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All about the house, with its numerous corners, turrets, gussets, and corbie-stepped gables, the fury of the world rose and wandered, the fury that never rests but is ever somewhere round the ancient universe, jibing night and morning at man's most valiant effort.
John Splendid The Tale of a Poor Gentleman, and the Little Wars of Lorn Neil Munro
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The Slyme ale-house had an ill repute, and was said to be haunted moreover; none would lie there the night who had anything to lose -- 'twas the haunt of kites and 'corbie craws.'
Border Ghost Stories Howard Pease
reesetee commented on the word corbie
Northern British nickname for the crow.
February 13, 2008