Water Cycle Definition - The water cycle is a series of processes that a body of water goes through as it transitions between the earth's oceans, the...
Merle /mer-le/ [2 sylls.] as a boys' name (also used as girls' name Merle) is pronounced merl. It is of French origin, and the meaning of Merle is blackbird. Country-western singer Merle Haggard has made this name familiar.
Merle can also alter other colors and patterns besides the usual red or black. These combinations such as Brindle Merle or Liver Merle are not typically accepted in breed standards. In addition to altering base coat color, merle also modifies eye color and coloring on the nose and paw pads. The merle gene modifies the dark pigment in the eyes, occasionally changing dark eyes to blue, or part of the eye to be colored blue.