bird

noun, often attributive

\ˈbərd

Definition of bird

(Entry 1 of 3)

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 : clay pigeon

5a : fellow

b : a peculiar person

c chiefly British : girl

6 : shuttlecock

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 : birdie sense 2

for the birds

: worthless, ridiculous

bird

verb

birded; birding; birds

Definition of bird (Entry 2 of 3)

intransitive verb

: to observe or identify wild birds in their habitats

Bird

biographical name

\ˈbərd

Definition of Bird (Entry 3 of 3)

Larry 1956– Lawrence Joseph Bird American basketball player

Other Words from bird Synonyms Example Sentences Learn More about bird

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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: Noun

By far, the white young birds are the most likely to be found here. — Taylor Piephoff, charlotteobserver, "You’ll have no regrets in search for egrets – and herons, too," 11 July 2018 The birds are the heaviest owl in North America, ranging from 3 to 6 pounds. — Fox News, "Rare snowy owl found in famed New York City jail," 4 July 2018 There also was some debate over whether the bird depicted is a pelican or a blue heron. — Patricia Dillon, Houston Chronicle, "Art enthusiasts celebrate, build camaraderie at ‘ArtFeel Live’ in The Woodlands," 29 June 2018 Explore the inlets and navigate around the islands with naturalists and look for birds from the water. — Paige Fumo Fox, Daily Southtown, "Ahoy, paddlers: Local lakes and rivers beckon," 13 June 2018 The driver who stopped for the birds also was injured. — Everton Bailey Jr., OregonLive.com, "1 killed, 1 injured in Vancouver chain-reaction crash involving car stopped for ducks," 7 June 2018 Any birds that roosted or perched in trees would've been homeless. — Ashley Strickland, CNN, "These were the unlikely survivors after dinosaurs went extinct," 24 May 2018 This was a custom wedding gift for the two love birds. — Candace Braun Davison, House Beautiful, "Property Brothers Star Drew Scott's Wedding Looks Like It Was Ripped From A Fairytale," 14 May 2018 The birds were likely on the ground, and with hens. — Paul A. Smith, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Smith: Fulfillment on Gobbler's Ridge comes from more than just harvesting turkeys," 12 May 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

But instead of writing the obvious profile, Taffy made birding the foundation for a story about a man who, in the age of sharing, has built a fence around himself. — Emilia Petrarca, The Cut, "What Paris Couture and Jonathan Franzen Have in Common," 6 July 2018 Courtesy of Crystal Lagoon Fishing piers, birding trails, wildlife blinds, butterfly gardens, bicycle paths and playgrounds. — Houston Chronicle, "Houston nature centers and preserves," 10 May 2018 Kuchar, ranked 21st in the world, stood at 1 under after his first 11 holes before birding four of his final seven — all on putts of 15 feet or less — to move into second. — BostonGlobe.com, "Rory Sabbatini surges to early RBC Heritage lead; No. 1 Dustin Johnson five back," 13 Apr. 2018 With thousands of sites for people to bird and record their findings, officials expect any incorrect information to be negligible. — Joshua Bowling, azcentral, "Program asks for public's help spotting, researching birds in regional counting project," 24 May 2018 The park offers picnicking, birding, and restroom facilities and is situated near downtown Flat Rock for folks looking to grab a sub sandwich or ice cream cone. — Lydia Lohrer, Detroit Free Press, "Memorial Day fishing guide: Hot spots in Metro Detroit, around state," 26 May 2018 When birding Latta Park, always check along the stream and adjacent shrubs and thickets first. — Taylor Piephoff, charlotteobserver, "Brightly plumaged migrants rest up at Latta Park in Dilworth | Charlotte Observer," 29 Apr. 2018 But one day when out birding with a grad student, Bird spotted an Anna’s hummingbird, a stocky, 4-inch-long bird, and his perspective changed. — National Geographic, "The Biggest Bird That Ever Lived and 5 More Bird Superstars," 15 May 2018 Greg Miller, who has birded in all 50 states and much of Canada, is the keynote speaker. — Jessi Virtusio, Post-Tribune, "Indiana Dunes birding festival offers full weekend of events," 2 May 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'bird.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.