What does corvine mean?
Corvine is an adjective meaning of, relating to, or resembling the crows and ravens — the birds of the genus Corvus and, more broadly, the crow family. It can describe literal things, such as a colony of rooks nesting in a church spire, or figurative qualities borrowed from those birds: glossy black plumage, a harsh cawing voice, keen intelligence, or a magpie-like habit of collecting shiny objects. Derived from the Latin corvinus, itself built on corvus, 'crow', the word entered English usage around the seventeenth century and remains comparatively rare. Writers reach for it most often in literary, ornithological, or descriptive prose, where it lends precision and atmosphere; 'corvid', its more familiar cousin, has largely taken over everyday scientific use. To call something corvine is to invoke centuries of folklore in which crows figure as omens, tricksters, and unsettlingly clever observers of human affairs.
adjectiveOf, relating to, or resembling the crows and ravens (the genus Corvus or the crow family); having qualities associated with those birds.
- Of or belonging to the crows and ravens (the genus Corvus or the family Corvidae).
- Resembling a crow or raven in appearance, sound, or character.
"The old tower's corvine inhabitants wheeled and cawed above the battlements at dusk."
"A corvine clamour erupted from the rookery as dusk settled over the fields."
"He had a corvine gleam in his eye, hoarding interesting trinkets and facts alike."
Every raven in a Gothic novel is technically being 'corvine' — the word comes straight from the Latin name for crow, Corvus, the same genus scientists still use today.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of corvine
Corvine derives from the Latin corvinus, meaning 'of a crow' or 'crow-like', formed on corvus, the classical Latin word for a crow or raven. The Romans used corvinus in names such as the statesman Sulla's nickname 'Corvinus', and the same root survives in scientific Latin, where Linnaeus adopted Corvus as the genus name for crows and ravens. English cognates sharing this lineage include the seabird name cormorant (literally 'sea-crow'), the architectural term corbel, and the Scots word corbie for a carrion crow.
How corvine is actually used
A literary and somewhat formal word, far rarer than 'corvid'; it often carries connotations of glossy blackness, hoarseness, intelligence, or thieving acquisitiveness inherited from folklore about crows and ravens.
Easily confused with corvine
Both refer to crows and their relatives, but 'corvid' is primarily a noun naming a member of the crow family (or an adjective describing that family), whereas 'corvine' is chiefly an adjective meaning crow-like or crow-related.