bird-dog

1 of 2

verb

bird-dogged; bird-dogging; bird-dogs

intransitive verb

: to watch closely

transitive verb

: to seek out : follow, detect

bird dog

2 of 2

noun

1
: a gundog trained to hunt or retrieve birds
2
a
: one (such as a canvasser or talent scout) who seeks out something for another
b
: one who steals another's date

Examples of bird-dog in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Verb
Hunters from across the nation attend and are greeted with displays and demonstrations ranging from bird-dog training to wild-game cooking to booths manned by the leading hunting equipment manufacturers in the country. Brent Frazee, Kansas City Star, 31 Jan. 2024 That includes moves like bird-dogs, fire hydrants, squat hops, plank rows, and tricep kickbacks. Korin Miller, Women's Health, 27 July 2023 In the mix: bird-dogs to fire hydrants, squat hops, and plank rows to tricep kickbacks. Korin Miller, Women's Health, 11 July 2023 Since then, Jack and her monitors have been bird-dogging the state’s performance. Allie Morris, Dallas News, 30 June 2023
Noun
The bird dog starts in the same position as a push-up, only on your knees instead of supporting your weight on the tips of your toes. Daryl Austin, USA TODAY, 23 Jan. 2024 The couple’s dogs are bird dogs, and bird hunting is by far the context for most of these essays. David James, Anchorage Daily News, 9 Sep. 2023 Similar to the bird dog, take these slow and steady to get a feel for loading weight. Cori Ritchey, Men's Health, 23 Aug. 2023 After that, Alicia can be seen doing a bunch of moves like bird dogs, upward dogs, and side planks for a solid core workout. Korin Miller, Women's Health, 6 June 2023 That is a long time in the life of a bird dog. Christine Cunningham, Anchorage Daily News, 10 Oct. 2021 And still, my reverence for this old relic is tied to my love for a fully broken bird dog. Durrell Smith, Outdoor Life, 20 Nov. 2020 Swing and a miss Buffalo bird dog: This new menu item swaps out a hot dog for Buffalo chicken in a bun. Amanda Yeager, Baltimore Sun, 29 Mar. 2023 The bird dog is the next step from the dead bug. Ebony Williams, ajc, 15 Apr. 2022

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'bird-dog.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

Verb

1943, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

Noun

1837, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of bird-dog was in 1837

Podcast

Dictionary Entries Near bird-dog

Cite this Entry

“Bird-dog.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bird-dog. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

bird dog

noun
: a dog that has been trained to hunt or bring back game birds
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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