bird
bird — noun
1. an egg-laying animal with feathers, a beak, two legs, and wings; many kinds can
an egg-laying animal with feathers, a beak, two legs, and wings; many kinds can fly
A small brown bird landed on the kitchen window during breakfast.
collocation: a bird lands on a window
Two bright birds circled above the rice field after the tractor stopped.
pattern: be a strange bird
Ella heard a bird singing in the tree beside her bus stop.
pattern: hear a bird + -ing form
The injured bird drank water from a box by our back door.
collocation: injured bird
Several sea birds followed the boat as Uncle Ray cleaned fish.
- wild bird
- baby bird
- bird song
- bird nest
- bird feeder
Grammar Patterns
a bird
birds in the garden
hear a bird singing
Usage Note
This is the general everyday word. For a baby bird, chick is more specific, and poultry is used for farm birds kept for eggs or meat.
Common Mistakes
2. an informal word for a person, especially someone who seems unusual in a memorab
an informal word for a person, especially someone who seems unusual in a memorable way
That old bird next door feeds twelve cats and sings at midnight.
pattern: old bird for an unusual person
Our drama coach is a funny bird, but every student likes him.
pattern: funny bird
At the wedding, everyone thought the man in the green coat was a strange bird.
Even the police officer said the missing uncle was an odd bird.
pattern: odd bird
At the market, everyone knew Mr. Cole as a harmless old bird.
- odd bird
- funny bird
- strange bird
- old bird
Grammar Patterns
an odd bird
a funny old bird
a strange bird
Usage Note
Mostly British and informal. It often appears with adjectives like odd, funny, strange, or old, and it usually suggests personality rather than age or gender.
3. an old-fashioned informal word used rudely about a young woman
an old-fashioned informal word used rudely about a young woman
The rude customer called the waitress a silly bird.
offensive use: call someone a bird
In the old novel, the boys talk about meeting birds at dances.
dated plural use
Grandpa still says bird for young women, which annoys Kofi.
The actor plays a man who calls every girl in town a bird.
At the pub, Leah told Ben not to call him bird.
dismissive form of address
- call someone a bird
- silly bird
- pretty bird
- girl
neutral everyday word, often for someone younger than an adult woman
- young woman
neutral and polite, with no rude tone
- chick
also informal and can sound sexist or disrespectful
Grammar Patterns
call someone a bird
pretty bird
birds at the dance
Usage Note
Mostly British and now often dated. In present-day English, this use can sound sexist or insulting, so young woman, woman, or girl is usually safer.
Common Mistakes
4. the light object with feathers that players hit back and forth in badminton
the light object with feathers that players hit back and forth in badminton
Nina served the bird deep to the back line.
pattern: serve the bird
A wet bird dropped straight down before Omar could hit it.
The coach tossed a new bird across the net.
During the rally, the bird clipped the tape and fell.
badminton rally context
Lena picked up the bird and checked the bent feathers.
- serve the bird
- hit the bird
- bird over the net
- new bird
- shuttlecock
the full standard term in badminton
- birdie
a very common informal sports word for the same object
- shuttle
a shorter sports word often used during play
Grammar Patterns
serve the bird
hit the bird
pick up the bird
Usage Note
Used in badminton as an informal short form. Shuttlecock is the standard full word in rules, lessons, and product names.
Something that is not important or useful.
Maya thinks that meeting was strictly for the birds.
Why do you watch that show? It's for the birds.
the bird has flown
idiomThe person that you wanted to catch has escaped.
When the police arrived, the bird had flown.
We tried to find him, but the bird had flown.
It is better to keep what you have than to risk losing it by trying to get more.
I'll keep my current job; a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.
Don't gamble your savings away—remember a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.
The basic facts about sex, often explained to children.
Dad gave me a book about the birds and the bees.
When should parents talk to their kids about the birds and the bees?
A view from a high place looking down at something.
From the tower we had a bird's-eye view of the city.
The drone gave us a bird's-eye view of the stadium.
People who are similar in character or interests tend to spend time together.
All the artists hang out together—birds of a feather flock together.
Sara and Diego are both scientists; birds of a feather flock together.
The person who acts early has an advantage over others.
I always wake up at 5 AM because the early bird catches the worm.
If you want a good seat, arrive early—the early bird catches the worm.
To shout at someone to show disapproval, or to be shouted at.
The audience gave the comedian the bird after his bad jokes.
When the referee made a bad call, he got the bird from the fans.
To achieve two goals with a single action.
By walking to work, I kill two birds with one stone: exercise and commuting.
She killed two birds with one stone by shopping and meeting a friend.
Used to say that you heard something from a secret source.
A little bird told me that you got a promotion.
How did you know about the party? A little bird told me.
bird — verb
1. to spend time outdoors watching wild birds and trying to identify them
to spend time outdoors watching wild birds and trying to identify them
At sunrise, three friends birded beside the lake with small guidebooks.
pattern: bird beside + place
Every April, Rosa and Ken bird along the north coast.
pattern: bird along + route
The class birded in the park and spotted two owls.
On holiday, my parents bird before breakfast near the marsh.
pattern: bird before breakfast
Several tourists birded quietly while the guide set up the telescope.
- bird at dawn
- bird along the coast
- bird in the park
- bird by the lake
Grammar Patterns
bird in + place
bird along + coast
bird at dawn
Usage Note
Always intransitive in this sense. It is used mostly by birdwatchers; in broader everyday English, many speakers say watch birds or go birdwatching instead.
Common Mistakes
Word family
- birdienounB1
- birdwatchverbB2
- birdwatchernounB2
- birdwatchingnounB2
Synonym discussion
Sense: noun/1
For the main animal sense, bird is the normal everyday word and works for almost any kind. Fowl is more formal and appears more often in farming, hunting, or technical writing. Poultry is narrower: it refers to domestic birds such as chickens, ducks, or turkeys raised for eggs or meat, not to birds in general. Birdie is informal and often sounds affectionate, playful, or child-directed. So you can say a bird landed on the fence, but a farm keeps poultry, and a hunting guide may talk about waterfowl or game fowl. A parent might point to a robin and say, "Look at the little birdie," while a science class would simply say bird.
Etymology
Bird comes from Old English brid or bridd. That older word seems to have referred first to a young bird or chick, and later it became the usual general word in English for the whole animal group.