bird

1 of 2

noun

often attributive
1
archaic : the young of a feathered vertebrate
2
: any of a class (Aves) of warm-blooded vertebrates distinguished by having the body more or less completely covered with feathers and the forelimbs modified as wings
3
: a game bird
4
5
a
: fellow
b
: a peculiar person
c
chiefly British : girl
6
7
chiefly British
a
: a hissing or jeering sound expressive of disapproval
b
: dismissal from employment
8
: a thin piece of meat rolled up with stuffing and cooked
9
: a man-made object (such as an aircraft, rocket, or satellite) that resembles a bird especially by flying or being aloft
10
: an obscene gesture of contempt made by pointing the middle finger upward while keeping the other fingers down
usually used with the

called also finger

11
birdlike adjective

Illustration of bird

Illustration of bird
  • 1 crest
  • 2 crown
  • 3 bill
  • 4 throat
  • 5 auricular region
  • 6 breast
  • 7 scapulars
  • 8 abdomen
  • 9 tarsus
  • 10 upper wing coverts
  • 11 primaries
  • 12 secondaries
  • 13 rectrix
  • 14 tail

bird

2 of 2

verb

birded; birding; birds

intransitive verb

: to observe or identify wild birds in their habitats
Phrases
for the birds

Examples of bird in a Sentence

Noun A large bird flew overhead. The birds were singing outside our window. He's a tough old bird. We met some smashing birds at the pub last night.
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Everyone seemed concerned but there was nothing to be done because the bird was out of reach. New York Times, 12 Feb. 2023 While Flaco had been spotted in various parts of the city, police admitted the bird was difficult to capture and was certainly a flight risk. Tina Burnside, CNN, 9 Feb. 2023 The chonky bird is a byword for clumsy obsolescence. WIRED, 31 Jan. 2023 That seems like a lofty target, given that a bird is vastly more complicated than a molecule. Quanta Magazine, 11 Jan. 2023 Closer inspection showed Oram the bird was in trouble, too. Matt Williams, Dallas News, 6 Jan. 2023 The bird was unable to fly because of a fractured humerus bone in his wing, and a severe wound in the wing as well, the Humane Society said. Kerry Breen, CBS News, 13 Dec. 2022 However, Katzner confirmed the bird was one that was monitored in his study. Kate S. Petersen, USA TODAY, 29 Nov. 2022 One study examines the chemical isotopes in swan feathers, which provides clues to where a migrating bird has been. Brian Maffly, The Salt Lake Tribune, 23 Nov. 2022
Verb
For Veach, who only began birding in 2020, the year began as a continuation of her passion for birds. Ernie Cowan, San Diego Union-Tribune, 3 Mar. 2024 Early birders have the best chance of catching a lot of activity, but any time can be a good time to go birding. Hari Kumar, New York Times, 2 Feb. 2024 Recommended Like Cooper, Gannon began birding as a boy. Barbara Spindel, The Christian Science Monitor, 20 Sep. 2023 And birders can use information from the night to inform birding the next day. Victoria Sayo Turner, Smithsonian Magazine, 20 Sep. 2023 The flamingos ignited a frenzy in the birding world amid a flood of comments on social media as birders traded news of the latest sightings and scattered out across six states hoping for a look at the leggy, pink wading birds. Dinah Voyles Pulver, USA TODAY, 4 Sep. 2023 The Best Times to Visit South Carolina for Pleasant Weather, Fewer Crowds, and Lower Prices Go birding along the Atlantic Flyway. Terry Ward, Travel + Leisure, 26 Aug. 2023 This pair hits the sweet spot with a solid 8x42 magnification and optical lens diameter (again, the ideal for safari and not just birding). Stefanie Waldek, Travel + Leisure, 28 June 2023 If birding on the ground gives you the micro of individual species and individual birds, BirdCast provides an unexpected macro perspective that functions as both science and art, number-crunching and airborne prayer. Ty Burr, New York Times, 18 Apr. 2023

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

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English brid, bird, from Old English bridd

First Known Use

Noun

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1917, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of bird was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near bird

Cite this Entry

“Bird.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bird. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

bird

1 of 2 noun
1
: any of a class of warm-blooded egg-laying vertebrate animals with the body covered with feathers and the forelimbs modified as wings
2
: individual sense 2, fellow
especially : a peculiar person

bird

2 of 2 verb
: to observe or identify wild birds in their natural environment
birder noun

Biographical Definition

Bird

biographical name

Larry (Joe) 1956–     American basketball player

More from Merriam-Webster on bird

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