Illustration of bird
- 1 crest
- 2 crown
- 3 bill
- 4 throat
- 5 auricular region
- 6 breast
- 7 scapulars
- 8 abdomen
- 9 tarsus
- 10 upper wing coverts
- 11 primaries
- 12 secondaries
- 13 rectrix
- 14 tail
often attributive
1
archaic
: the young of a feathered vertebrate
2
: any of a class (Aves) of warm-blooded vertebrates distinguished by having the body more or less completely covered with feathers and the forelimbs modified as wings
3
: a game bird
4
6
7
chiefly British
a
: a hissing or jeering sound expressive of disapproval
b
: dismissal from employment
8
: a thin piece of meat rolled up with stuffing and cooked
9
: a man-made object (such as an aircraft, rocket, or satellite) that resembles a bird especially by flying or being aloft
10
: an obscene gesture of contempt made by pointing the middle finger upward while keeping the other fingers down
—usually used with the
called also finger
11
see also for the birds
Examples of bird in a Sentence
Noun
A large bird flew overhead.
The birds were singing outside our window.
He's a tough old bird.
We met some smashing birds at the pub last night.
Recent Examples on the Web
Steven Yablonski, CBS News, 3 Feb. 2026
Customers don’t have to dine at Shōgun to drink at Secreto, but why not kill two birds with stone and treat yourself to a mezcal digestif?
—Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 3 Feb. 2026
Jill Goldsmith, Deadline, 23 Jan. 2026
All ornithologists have to go birding, and all the birders have a little bit of ornithology in them.
—Maura Fox, San Diego Union-Tribune, 4 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for bird
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Noun
Officials said that everyone inside the home was safely evacuated before fire crews arrived, and firefighters were able to assist in removing family pets, including a dog and several birds, from inside the home.
—Steven Yablonski, CBS News, 3 Feb. 2026
Customers don’t have to dine at Shōgun to drink at Secreto, but why not kill two birds with stone and treat yourself to a mezcal digestif?
—Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 3 Feb. 2026
Verb
After the sudden death of her father, Helen (Foy), loses herself in the memories of their time birding and exploring the natural world together and turns to the ancient art of falconry to navigate her profound loss.
—Jill Goldsmith, Deadline, 23 Jan. 2026
All ornithologists have to go birding, and all the birders have a little bit of ornithology in them.
—Maura Fox, San Diego Union-Tribune, 4 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for bird
Cite this Entry
“Bird.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bird. Accessed 4 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
bird
1 of 2 noun1
: any of a class of warm-blooded egg-laying vertebrate animals with the body covered with feathers and the forelimbs modified as wings
2
: individual sense 2, fellow
especially
: a peculiar person
bird
2 of 2 verb
: to observe or identify wild birds in their natural environment
birder
noun
Biographical Definition
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
