bird's-eye view

noun

1
: a view from a high angle as if seen by a bird in flight
2
: an overall or cursory look at something

Examples of bird's-eye view in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Admire it from a distance, walk across it for free, or climb it to savor a bird's-eye view of Sydney. Patricia Doherty, Travel + Leisure, 28 Feb. 2023 Dagne Dover's Mila toiletry organizer takes the Dopp kit to another level with a vertical design that gives you a bird's-eye view of your essentials. Paris Wilson, Condé Nast Traveler, 13 Feb. 2023 While the rest of Sonoma soaks up the sun inland, Fort Ross Vineyard floats over the chill of coastal fog, affording a bird's-eye view of the property's vines, forests, meadows, and the spectacular Pacific Ocean in the distance. Amy Thomas, Travel + Leisure, 25 Jan. 2023 Photos taken Tuesday by Maxar Technologies, a U.S. defense contractor headquartered in Colorado, show a bird's-eye view of several Turkish towns before and after the temblors, which have claimed the lives at least 11,000 people. Aina J. Khan, NBC News, 8 Feb. 2023 The roughly 31-minute clip is an overhead surveillance wide-angle shot taken from a city surveillance camera that offers a bird's-eye view of the unsettling beating. Meredith Deliso, ABC News, 29 Jan. 2023 From its perch on top of a hill, the camp offers a bird's-eye view of wide-open plains where zebras and baboons graze. Mary Holland, Travel + Leisure, 4 June 2022 Since birds can see ultraviolet wavelengths that humans can't, a bird's-eye view may reveal a spectacularly red berry. Discover Magazine, 29 June 2010 Using an aerial photograph of the landscape around Oxford, the researchers calculated how simple or complex the bird's-eye view was from one pixel to the next. Elizabeth Preston, Discover Magazine, 30 Jan. 2014

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

Word History

First Known Use

1771, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of bird's-eye view was in 1771

Dictionary Entries Near bird's-eye view

Cite this Entry

“Bird's-eye view.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bird%27s-eye%20view. Accessed 18 Apr. 2024.

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