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bird - What does it mean?

Definition of 'bird'

English

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Etymology 1

From (etyl), from (etyl) (m), (m), , of uncertain origin and relation.

Noun

(en-noun)
  • A member of the class of animals Aves in the phylum Chordata, characterized by being warm-blooded, having feathers and wings usually capable of flight, and laying eggs.
    • Ducks and sparrows are birds .
  • * 2004 , Bruce Whittington, Loucas Raptis, Seasons with Birds , page 50:
    • The level below this is called the Phylum; birds belong to the Phylum Chordata, which includes all the vertebrate animals (the sub-phylum Vertebrata) and a few odds and ends.
  • (dated|slang) A man, fellow.
  • * 1886 , Edmund Routledge, Routledge's every boy's annual
    • He once took in his own mother, and was robbed by a 'pal,' who thought he was a doctor. Oh, he's a rare bird is 'Gentleman Joe'!
  • * 1939 , (Raymond Chandler), The Big Sleep , Penguin 2011, p. 24:
    • The door opened and a tall hungry-looking bird with a cane and a big nose came in neatly, shut the door behind him against the pressure of the door closer, marched over to the desk and placed a wrapped parcel on the desk.
  • * 2006 , Jeff Fields, Terry Kay, A cry of angels
    • "Ah, he's a funny bird ," said Phaedra, throwing a leg over the sill.
  • (UK|US|slang|used by men) A girl or woman, especially one considered sexually attractive.
  • * Campbell
    • And by my word! the bonny bird / In danger shall not tarry.
  • * 2013 , Russell Brand, Russell Brand and the GQ awards: 'It's amazing how absurd it seems''' (in ''The Guardian , 13 September 2013)[http://www.theguardian.com/culture/2013/sep/13/russell-brand-gq-awards-hugo-boss]
    • The usual visual grammar was in place – a carpet in the street, people in paddocks awaiting a brush with something glamorous, blokes with earpieces, birds in frocks of colliding colours that if sighted in nature would indicate the presence of poison.
  • (UK|Ireland|slang) Girlfriend.
    • Mike went out with his bird last night.
  • (slang) An airplane.
  • (obsolete) A chicken; the young of a fowl; a young eaglet; a nestling.
  • * Shakespeare
    • That ungentle gull, the cuckoo's bird .
  • * Tyndale (Matt. viii. 20)
    • The brydds [birds] of the aier have nestes.
    Synonyms
    * (man) chap, bloke, guy * (woman) broad, chick, dame, girl, lass * See also * See also
    Hyponyms
    * See also
    Derived terms
    * a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush * adult bird * a funny bird * a gay old bird * Alberta's provincial bird * a little bird * a little bird told me * aquatic bird * a queer bird * band birds * beach birds * bird aircraft strike hazard (BASH) * big bird * Big Bird * bird bath * birdbeak dogfish (Deania calcea ) * birdbrain, bird brain * birdbrained, bird-brained * birdbrained person * birdcage * birdcage clock * birdcall, bird-call, bird call * birdcall imitation, bird-call imitation, bird call imitation * birdcall imitator, bird-call imitator, bird call imitator * birdcatcher, bird-catcher, bird catcher * birdcatching, bird-catching, bird catching * bird-catching net * bird dealer, bird-dealer * bird-do * bird dog * bird-dog * bird-dogged * bird-dogging * bird-dogs * birder * bird eye * bird flu * birdfood, bird food * bird-foot * bird-footed dinosaur * bird hatch * bird hatching * bird-hipped * bird-hipped dinosaur * birdhouse, bird-house, bird house * birdie * birdied * birdieing * bird influenza * bird in the hand, bird in hand * birding * birdlet * bird life * birdlike, bird-like * birdlime * birdlimed * birdlimer * birdlimes * birdliming * bird louse * birdlover, bird-lover, bird lover * birdloving, bird-loving, bird loving * birdly * birdman * bird of freedom * bird of ill omen * bird of Jove * bird of Juno (der-mid) * bird of paradise * bird-of-paradise * Bird of Paradise * bird-of-paradise flower * bird of passage * bird of peace * bird of prey * bird pepper * birdseed * birdseller, bird-seller * bird's eye * bird's-eye map * bird's-eye maple, bird's eye maple (Acer saccharum ) * bird's-eye maple wood veneer * bird's-eye primrose * bird's-eye speedwell * bird's-eye view * bird's-foot * bird's-foot trefoil * bird's-foot violet * bird shit * birdshot, bird shot * bird's mouth * bird's-nest orchid * bird's-nest soup, bird's nest soup * birds of a feather, birds of a feather flock together * birdsong * birds of paradise, birds-of-paradise * bird spider * bird's tooth * birdstore, bird store * birdstrike, bird strike * * bird table * birdwatcher, bird-watcher, bird watcher * birdwatching, bird-watching, bird watching * birdwoman * birdy * clever bird * cock bird, cock-bird * dickeybird, dickybird * do bird * early bird * eat like a bird * European bird cherry * fine feathers make fine birds * frigate bird * for the birds * gamebird, game-bird, game bird * gamebird farmer, game-bird farmer * get the bird * give somebody the bird, give someone the bird * hen bird * hummingbird, humming-bird, humming bird * kill two birds with one stone * like a bird * little bird * odd bird * old bird * rare bird * seabird * shorebird, shore bird * strange bird * the bird has flown, the bird is flown * the birds and the bees * the early bird catches the worm * waterbird, water bird (der-bottom)
    See also
    * burd * chirp * squawk * tweet * * (wikipedia) * (commonslite) * (Aves)

    Verb

    (en-verb)
  • To observe or identify wild birds in their natural environment
  • To catch or shoot birds.
  • (figuratively) To seek for game or plunder; to thieve.
    • (Ben Jonson)

    Etymology 2

    Originally Cockney rhyming slang, shortened from bird-lime for "time"

    Noun

    (-)
  • A prison sentence.
    • He’s doing bird .
    Synonyms
    * (prison sentence) porridge, stretch, time

    Etymology 3

    Dated in the mid?18th Century; derived from the expression “to give the big bird”, as in “to hiss someone like a ”.

    Noun

  • The vulgar hand gesture in which the middle finger is extended.
  • * 2002 , The Advocate , "Flying fickle finger of faith", page 55.
    • For whatever reason — and there are so many to chose from — they flipped the bird in the direction of the tinted windows of the Bushmobile.
  • * 2003 , , The Beach House , Warner Books, page 305,
    • Then she raised both hands above her shoulders and flipped him the bird with each one.
    Derived terms
    * flip the bird

    Etymology 4

    From (etyl) .

    Noun

    (en-noun)
  • (Asian slang) A penis.
    • Don't Touch My Bird .

    References

    *

    Anagrams

    * 1000 English basic words

    Similar to 'bird'

    board, braid, breed, bred, bread, broad, beard, brood, bord, bard, brad, bored, burd, brud, bared, bourd, broid, byard, borid, bryid