English Explanatory Dictionary

a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush

English dictionary entry

Meanings

proverb
  1. A sure thing is preferable to the mere chance at something more.

Pronunciation

en-au-a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.ogg

Word forms

a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush

Etymology

Calque of Latin plus valet in manibus avis unica quam dupla silvis (“a single bird in the hands is worth more than two in the forest”), possibly deriving from sources as old as the ancient Middle East, with the 6th century BCE Proverbs of Ahiqar including "a sparrow in thy hand is better than a thousand sparrows flying".

Synonyms

better an egg today than a hen tomorrow take the cash and let the credit go

Related words

half a loaf is better than none something is better than nothing beggars can't be choosers don't look a gift horse in the mouth a contented mind is a perpetual feast the grass is always greener on the other side
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