bird
From Wiktionary, the free dictionary
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Pronunciation
- (Received Pronunciation) enPR: bû(r)d, IPA(key): /bɜːd/
- (General American) IPA(key): /bɜɹd/, [bɝˑɖ]
- (New York City, Southern US, dated) IPA(key): [bəɪd]
Audio (General American): (file)
- (Canada) IPA(key): /bəɹd/, [bɚ(ɹ)d]
- (General Australian) enPR: bû(r)d, IPA(key): /bɘːd/
- (India) IPA(key): /bɜd/
- Rhymes: -ɜː(ɹ)d
Etymology 1
From Middle English bird, brid, from Old English bridd (“chick, fledgling, chicken”), of uncertain origin (see Old English bridd for more). Originally from a term used of birds that could not fly (chicks, fledglings, chickens) as opposed to the general Old English term for flying birds, fugol (modern fowl). Gradually replaced fowl as the most common term starting in the 14th century.
The "booing/jeering" and "vulgar hand gesture" senses derived from the expression “to give the big bird”, as in “to hiss someone like a goose”, dated in the mid‐18th century.
Noun
bird (plural birds)
- A member of the class or subclass of animals Aves in the phylum Chordata, characterized by being warm-blooded, having feathers and wings usually capable of flight, having a beaked mouth, and laying eggs.
- Synonyms: avian, fowl (archaic), feathered friend (idiomatic), feathered folk (collectively); see also Thesaurus:bird
- Ducks and sparrows are birds.
- 2004, Bruce Whittington, Loucas Raptis, Seasons with Birds, page 50:
- The level below this is called the Phylum; birds belong to the Phylum Chordata, which includes all the vertebrate animals (the sub-phylum Vertebrata) and a few odds and ends.
- (cooking, slang) A chicken or turkey used as food.
- Pitch in and help me stuff the bird if you want Thanksgiving dinner.
- (slang) A man, fellow. [from mid-19th c.]
- Synonyms: bloke, chap, guy; see also Thesaurus:man
- 1886, Edmund Routledge, Routledge's every boy's annual:
- He once took in his own mother, and was robbed by a 'pal,' who thought he was a doctor. Oh, he's a rare bird is 'Gentleman Joe'!
- 1925 July – 1926 May, A[rthur] Conan Doyle, “(please specify the chapter number)”, in The Land of Mist (eBook no. 0601351h.html), Australia: Project Gutenberg Australia, published April 2019:
- "What I mean - I expect that old, red-headed bird at the office sent you round with no other purpose."
- 1939, Raymond Chandler, The Big Sleep, Penguin, published 2011, page 24:
- The door opened and a tall hungry-looking bird with a cane and a big nose came in neatly, shut the door behind him against the pressure of the door closer, marched over to the desk and placed a wrapped parcel on the desk.
- 2006, Jeff Fields, Terry Kay, A cry of angels:
- "Ah, he's a funny bird," said Phaedra, throwing a leg over the sill.
- (UK, Ireland, colloquial) A girl or woman, especially one considered sexually attractive.
- Synonyms: broad, chick, dame, lass; see also Thesaurus:girl, Thesaurus:woman
- 1809, Thomas Campbell, Lord Ullin's Daughter:
- And by my word! the bonny bird / In danger shall not tarry.
- 1918 [1915], Thomas Burke, Nights in London, New York: Henry Holt and Company, page 75:
- After tea, the bright boys wash, clean their boots, and change into their “second-best” attire, and stroll forth […] ; sometimes to saunter, in company with others, up and down that parade until they “click” with one of the “birds.”
- 2017, David Weigel, The Show That Never Ends: The Rise and Fall of Prog Rock, W. W. Norton & Company:
- “All these fantastic birds, long hair, made up, false eyelashes and things, crowding round this group of scabby, spotty teenagers,” marveled Anderson.
- (UK, Ireland, colloquial, by extension) A girlfriend. [from early 20th c.]
- Mike went out with his bird last night.
- 2002, “Geezers need excitement”, in Mike Skinner (lyrics), Original Pirate Material, performed by The Streets:
- But all of a sudden though, just through the smoke / It's your bird laughing and joking with a bloke / Ain't just that either, as she moves closer / In a shape what looks like they're lovers, he's tonguing her!
- (slang) An aircraft.
- 1967, Trudy Baker, Rachel Jones, Donald Bain (uncredited), Coffee, Tea, or Me?: The Uninhibited Memoirs of Two Airline Stewardesses, New York: Bantam Books, page 10:
- “Cabin cleaners? They have worked on this bird. Don't you know you've always got to clean up after the cleaners? What they don't teach you in school these days.”
- 2007 September 25, Bungie, Halo 3, spoken by Miranda Keyes (Justis Bolding), Microsoft Game Studios, Xbox 360, level/area: Crow's Nest:
- Any of our birds squawking?
- (slang) A satellite.
- 1988, Satellite communications. Jan-Oct. 1988:
- Deployment of the fourth bird "should ensure that Inmarsat has sufficient capacity in orbit in the early 1990s, taking into account the possibility of launch failures and the age of some of the spacecraft in the Inmarsat first generation system
- 1992, Cable Vision:
- Will a government- backed APSTAR satellite knock out a planned AsiaSat II bird?
- 2015, John Fuller, Thor's Legions: Weather Support to the U.S. Air Force and Army, 1937-1987, Springer, →ISBN, page 384:
- In reality, the Air Force was never able to place a bird in orbit that quickly.
- (obsolete) A chicken; the young of a fowl; a young eaglet; a nestling.
- 1526, [William Tyndale, transl.], The Newe Testamẽt […] (Tyndale Bible), [Worms, Germany: Peter Schöffer], →OCLC, Matthew viij:[20], folio x, recto:
- […] the foxes have holes, and the brydds of the aier have nestes, but [t]he sonne of the man hath not where onto leye his heede: […]
- c. 1597 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The First Part of Henry the Fourth, […]”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act V, scene i]:
- That ungentle gull, the cuckoo's bird.
- (UK, with definite article, chiefly in phrases) Booing and jeering, especially as done by an audience expressing displeasure at a performer.
- (with definite article) The vulgar hand gesture in which the middle finger is extended.
- Synonym: the finger
- 2002, The Advocate, "Flying fickle finger of faith", page 55.
- For whatever reason — and there are so many to chose from — they flipped the bird in the direction of the tinted windows of the Bushmobile.
- 2003, James Patterson, Peter de Jonge, The Beach House, Warner Books, page 305:
- Then she raised both hands above her shoulders and flipped him the bird with each one.
- A yardbird.
- (slang, US) A kilogram of cocaine.
- 2015 January 12, Lil Wayne (lyrics and music), “Sh!t” (track 2), in Sorry 4 the Wait 2:
- Never dirt on my knees
I'm just serving these fiends
Sell birds to the bees
I sell birds to the trees
- (slang, Canada, Philippines) A penis.
- 2004 May 9, Mike Clattenburg, Mike Smith (actor), 05:29 from the start, in Trailer Park Boys(Conky), season 4, episode 5 (TV series), spoken by Bubbles (Mike Smith):
- BUBBLES: One time I was making a model and I glued the wing to a B17 bomber to my bird by accident.
- (UK, slang) Jailtime; time in prison.
Hypernyms
Hyponyms
- See also Thesaurus:bird
Derived terms
- a bird in the hand
- a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush
- a little bird told me
- American bird grasshopper
- antbird
- antibird
- apostlebird
- banana bird
- band birds
- barley-bird
- beach birds
- beambird
- bellbird
- bill bird
- bill-bird
- birdaholic
- bird aircraft strike hazard (BASH)
- bird-alane
- bird app
- birdback
- bird ball
- birdbander
- bird bath
- birdbath
- birdbeak dogfish (Deania calcea)
- birdbolt
- birdbox
- birdbrain, bird brain
- birdbrained, bird-brained
- bird breeder's lung
- bird burst
- birdcage
- bird-cage
- birdcage clock
- birdcall, bird-call, bird call
- birdcaller
- birdcall imitation, bird-call imitation, bird call imitation
- birdcall imitator, bird-call imitator, bird call imitator
- birdcalling
- birdcam
- birdcare
- birdcatcher, bird-catcher, bird catcher
- bird-catcher tree
- birdcatching, bird-catching, bird catching
- bird-catching net
- bird cherry
- bird-cherry ermine
- bird chorus
- bird cliff
- bird colonel
- bird colony
- bird course
- birdcrap
- bird dealer, bird-dealer
- bird-do
- bird dog, bird-dog, bird-dogged, bird-dogging
- birddom
- bird droppings
- bird dropping spider
- birdeater
- birdeen
- birder
- birdeye
- bird eye
- bird-eyed
- bird fancier's lung
- birdfeed
- bird feeder, birdfeeder
- birdfest
- bird flu
- birdfood, bird food
- bird-foot
- bird-footed dinosaur
- birdfucker
- bird grasshopper
- bird-hatching
- bird-headed
- bird hide
- bird-hipped
- bird-hipped dinosaur
- birdhood
- birdhouse, bird-house, bird house
- birdicide
- birdie, birdied, birdieing
- birdikin
- birdiness
- bird influenza
- birding
- bird ingestion
- bird in the bosom
- bird in the hand, bird in hand
- birdish
- birdkeeper
- birdkeeping
- birdkind
- birdless
- birdlet
- birdlife
- birdlike, bird-like
- birdlime, birdlimed, birdliming
- birdlimer
- birdling
- birdlore
- bird louse
- birdlover, bird-lover, bird lover
- birdloving, bird-loving, bird loving
- birdly
- birdman
- birdmom
- birdnap, birdnapper
- birdness
- bird-nest
- birdnest, birdnesting
- bird-nesting
- birdo
- bird of freedom
- bird of ill omen
- bird of Jove
- bird of Juno
- bird of one's own brain
- bird of paradise, bird-of-paradise
- bird-of-paradise flower
- bird of passage
- bird of peace
- bird of prey
- bird of wonder
- bird pepper
- bird point
- birdproof
- bird-rich
- birds and bees
- birdseed
- birdseller, bird-seller
- bird's eye
- bird's-eye map
- bird's-eye maple, bird's eye maple (Acer saccharum)
- bird's-eye primrose
- bird's-eye speedwell
- bird's-eye view
- birdsfoot
- bird's-foot
- bird's-foot trefoil
- bird's-foot violet
- birdshit
- bird shit
- birdshop
- birdshot, bird shot
- birdsit
- birdsite
- birdsitter
- birdskin
- birdsmouth
- bird's nest
- birdsnest
- bird's-nest orchid
- bird's-nest soup, bird's nest soup
- birds of a feather, birds of a feather flock together
- birds of paradise, birds-of-paradise
- birdsome
- bird song
- birdsong
- bird spider
- birdspotter
- birdspotting
- bird's tooth
- birdstore, bird store
- birdstrike, bird strike
- bird stuffer
- Birds' Wedding
- birdsweet
- bird table
- birdtrap
- bird-walk
- bird walk
- birdwalk
- birdwatcher
- bird watcher
- bird watching
- birdwatching
- birdweed
- birdwing
- birdwise
- bird-witted
- birdwoman
- birdy
- birdyback
- birdysit
- blackbird
- bloodbird
- bluebird
- boatswain-bird
- Boatswain Bird Island
- bovver bird
- bower bird
- brain-fever bird
- bristlebird
- broken bird
- bumblebird
- bunyip bird
- bushbird
- butcherbird
- butcher bird
- butterbird
- cage bird
- cagebird
- call bird
- canary bird
- capuchinbird
- cat bird
- cat-bird
- catbird
- cedarbird
- cedar bird
- ceiling bird
- chaparral bird
- charm a bird off a branch
- chipping bird
- cicadabird
- clever bird
- cockbird
- cock bird, cock-bird
- cockyolly bird
- cockyoly bird
- cornbird
- cowbird
- crocodile bird
- crying bird
- dead bird
- devil bird
- diamond bird
- dickeybird, dickybird
- dicky-bird
- dicky bird
- dirtbird
- do bird
- doctor bird
- dodo bird
- dollarbird
- dolly-bird
- dolly bird
- doughbird
- dragoon bird
- drinking bird
- dunbird
- early bird
- early bird catches the worm
- early bird special
- eat like a bird
- egg-bird
- elephant bird
- European bird cherry
- feathered oof-bird
- fernbird
- figbird
- fine feathers make fine birds
- firebird
- flip the bird
- for the birds
- free as a bird
- friar bird
- friarbird
- frigatebird, frigate bird
- frostbird
- full bird
- full bird colonel
- funny bird
- gallows-bird
- gallows bird
- gamebird farmer, game-bird farmer
- gamebird, game bird
- gaolbird
- gaol-bird
- gay old bird
- get the bird
- ghetto bird
- gibberbird
- give somebody the bird, give someone the bird
- give the bird
- glacier bird
- go-away bird
- go-away-bird
- Goliath birdeater
- gooney bird
- gospel bird
- go the way of the dodo bird
- grass-bird
- grassbird
- gunbird
- hairbird
- hangbird
- have a bird
- haybird
- hen bird
- hermit-bird
- homebird
- honeybird
- humbird
- hummingbird, humming-bird, humming bird
- icebird
- important bird area
- indigobird
- indigo bird
- invisible bird
- iron bird
- it's an ill bird that fouls its own nest
- jail bird
- jail-bird
- jailbird
- jaybird
- Jesus bird
- kill two birds with one stone
- kingbird
- lady-bird
- ladybird
- leafbird
- lettuce-bird
- life bird
- lightning bird
- like a bird
- little bird
- liver bird
- Lord God bird
- lovebird
- love bird
- lyrebird
- mackerel bird
- magnificent bird of paradise
- magnificent frigate bird
- mallee bird
- man-bird
- mango bird
- mango-bird
- man-of-war bird
- marshbird
- maya bird
- migratory bird
- mino bird
- mistletoebird
- mocking bird
- mockingbird
- moonbird
- moorbird
- moosebird
- morningbird
- mother-bird
- moundbird
- mound bird
- mousebird
- multibird
- murderbird
- mutton bird
- naked as a jay bird
- naked as a jay-bird
- night bird
- nonbird
- nunbird
- odd bird
- oilbird
- old bird
- oof-bird
- oozlum bird
- organbird
- ovenbird
- oxbird
- paddy bird
- parson bird
- Peabody bird
- perching bird
- pie bird
- pilotbird
- plumebird
- poë-bird, poë bird, poebird
- preacher bird
- protobird
- puffbird
- qua-bird
- queer bird
- railbird
- rainbird
- rare bird
- red-bird
- redbird
- reedbird
- regent-bird
- rhinoceros bird
- ricebird
- riflebird
- ringbird
- sandbird
- sankofa bird
- scape-bird
- scrubbird
- scrub bird
- seabird
- sea bird
- seal-bird
- secretary bird
- seed-bird
- shadbird
- shitbird
- shit bird
- shoot a bird
- shorebird, shore bird
- silverbird
- sing like a bird
- skinbyrd
- skipper-bird
- skunkbird
- snakebird
- snow-bird
- snow bird
- snowbird
- songbird
- spark bird
- spinifexbird
- spokesbird
- stiltbird
- stinkbird
- stonebird
- storm-bird
- strange bird
- Stymphalian bird
- sugarbird
- sultana bird
- sunbird
- surfbird
- tailorbird
- T-bird
- terror bird
- the bird has flown, the bird is flown
- the birds and the bees
- the early bird catches the worm
- the early bird gets the worm
- thicketbird
- thornbird
- thunderbird
- tickbird
- tinkerbird
- toddy bird
- tropicbird
- umber bird
- umbrellabird
- umbrella bird
- unicorn bird
- wading bird
- wallbird
- warbird
- waterbirding
- waterbird, water bird
- wattlebird
- waxbird
- weaverbird
- werebird
- wetbird
- whalebird
- wheatbird
- wheelbird
- whipbird
- whirlybird
- whore's-bird
- widow bird
- wirebird
- woodbird
- yard bird
- yawker bird
- year-bird
- yellow-bird
- yellowbird
Descendants
- → Esperanto: birdo
Translations
animal
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person
woman
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girlfriend
vulgar hand gesture
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See also
Verb
bird (third-person singular simple present birds, present participle birding, simple past and past participle birded)
- (intransitive) To observe or identify wild birds in their natural environment.
- (intransitive) To catch or shoot birds; to hunt birds.
- (intransitive, figuratively) To seek for game or plunder; to thieve.
- 1610 (first performance), Ben[jamin] Jonson, The Alchemist, London: […] Thomas Snodham, for Walter Burre, and are to be sold by Iohn Stepneth, […], published 1612, →OCLC, (please specify the Internet Archive page), (please specify the scene number in lowercase Roman numerals):
- MAMMON: These day-owls.
SURLY: That are birding in men's purses
- (transitive, television) To transmit via satellite.
- 1995, David D. Pearce, Wary Partners: Diplomats and the Media, page 43:
- Unless the TV crew has its own flyaway, the locals can still defeat a story they couldn't prevent reporters from covering by cutting it off at the pass, when it is being birded through their facilities.
- 2012, Yoel Cohen, Media Diplomacy, page 127:
- After being sent by fast car to Tel Aviv the cassettes would be 'birded' by satellite to the USA and London.
Adjective
bird (comparative birdier, superlative birdiest)
- (Canada, colloquial, of a school or university course) Able to be passed with very little work; having the nature of a bird course.
- 2022 June 17, ConradIsMyDaddy, “How to Graduate from the University of Waterloo's Computer Science Program with the Least Amount of Effort”, in Reddit, r/uwaterloo:
- but admittedly, all the hours spent creating excel sheets optimizing my course plan, all the research finding the absolutely best professors, all the smart friends i made, all the alumni i contacted to collect crowdmarks of past exams, all the research i did finding the birdiest courses of all...... all of it was wayyyyyy more fun to me than just sitting down and studying like a normal kid. it was kind of just like playing a video game.
Etymology 2
Originally Cockney rhyming slang, shortened from bird-lime for "time".
Noun
bird (uncountable)
Synonyms
Translations
prison sentence
Verb
bird (third-person singular simple present birds, present participle birding, simple past and past participle birded)
- (transitive, slang) To bring into prison, to roof.
- 2017, “No Hook”, ZK & Digga D (lyrics), CDM (music):
- Free Criminal, he got birded
That's a L but I know he’ll firm it
I was vexed when I heard that verdict
Derived terms
Translations
References
- Douglas Harper (2001–2025) “bird”, in Online Etymology Dictionary.
bird on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
Category:Aves on Wikimedia Commons.Wikimedia Commons
Aves on Wikispecies.Wikispecies
- “bird”, in OneLook Dictionary Search.
Anagrams
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