bird-dog

1 of 2

verb

bird-dogged; bird-dogging; bird-dogs

intransitive verb

: to watch closely

transitive verb

: to seek out : follow, detect

bird dog

2 of 2

noun

1
: a gundog trained to hunt or retrieve birds
2
a
: one (such as a canvasser or talent scout) who seeks out something for another
b
: one who steals another's date

Examples of bird-dog in a Sentence

Verb suspecting infidelity, he hired a private detective to bird-dog his wife

Word History

First Known Use

Verb

1943, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

Noun

1837, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of bird-dog was in 1837

Podcast

Dictionary Entries Near bird-dog

Cite this Entry

“Bird-dog.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bird-dog. Accessed 15 Oct. 2024.

Kids Definition

bird dog

noun
: a dog that has been trained to hunt or bring back game birds
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!