English Explanatory Dictionary

bird

English dictionary entry

Meanings

noun
  1. An animal of the clade (traditionally class) 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.
  2. A chicken; the young of a fowl; a young eaglet; a nestling.
  3. A man, fellow.
  4. A girl or woman, especially one considered sexually attractive.
  5. A girlfriend.
  6. An aircraft.
  7. A satellite.
  8. Booing and jeering, especially as done by an audience expressing displeasure at a performer.
  9. The vulgar hand gesture in which the middle finger is extended.
  10. A yardbird.
  11. A kilogram of cocaine.
  12. A penis.
verb
  1. To observe or identify wild birds in their natural environment.
  2. To catch or shoot birds; to hunt birds.
  3. To seek for game or plunder; to thieve.
  4. To transmit via satellite.
adj
  1. Able to be passed with very little work; having the nature of a bird course.
noun
  1. A prison sentence.
verb
  1. To bring into prison, to roof.
name
  1. A surname.
  2. Nickname of Charlie Parker (1920–1955), jazz saxophonist.

Pronunciation

/ˈbɜːd/ [ˈbɜ̝ːd] /ˈbɘːd/ [ˈbɘːd] /ˈbøːd/ [ˈbøːd] /ˈbɜɪ̯d/ [ˈbɜɪ̯d] /ˈbɝd/ [ˈbɝˑd] /ˈbɚ̞d/ [ˈbɚ̞d] en-us-bird.ogg /ˈbø˞ːd/ [ˈbø˞ːd] /ˈbʊːɹd/ [ˈbʊ̈ːɹd] /ˈbɪɹd/ [ˈbɪɹd] /ˈbɜ(ɾ)d/ [ˈbɜ(ɾ)d]

Word forms

bird birds birding birded birdier birdiest Byrd

Etymology

Etymology tree Old English bridd Middle English brid English bird 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.

Synonyms

avian bird birdie feathered friend fowl feathered folk bloke chap guy boy bro broski bruh cat chappy chield cove covey dog [⇒ thesaurus] (slang) dawg dude fella fellow gadgie gate geezer gink gloak gome health homeboy homey joe lede nigga ninja omi pillicock punk rooster seg shalk wallah wer were wye broad chick dame lass babe bint cake colleen cutty damoiselle damsel elrig frail gal

Related words

birb burd chirp ornithic ornithology squawk tweet :Category:Birds Animals

Derived words

a bird in the hand a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush adjutant bird a little bird told me American bird grasshopper antbird antibird apostlebird Baltimore bird banana bird band birds barley-bird beach birds beambird bellbird bill bird bill-bird birdaholic bird aircraft strike hazard bird-alane bird app birdback bird ball birdbander birdbath bird bath birdbeak dogfish bird bird 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

Translations

Chichonyi-Chidzihana-Chikauma: mutu French: oiseau German: Vogel German: Typ Greek: τύπος Italian: tipo Iranian Persian: جیگَر Slovene: tič Swahili: ndege
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