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

For the first hour of roasting or up to two hours for larger birds, prop an aluminum foil tent over the turkey. — Lauren Piro, Good Housekeeping, "Should You Really Roast Your Turkey Upside Down?," 30 Aug. 2018 Former environment secretary Jose Luis Luege said the government is already draining Lake Nabor Carrillo, a shallow 2,265 acres (917 hectare) lake that provides a major habitat for migratory birds. — Mark Stevenson, Fox News, "Protesters: New Mexico City airport will hurt environment," 23 Aug. 2018 Yes, that food is for birds, but mice will also eat it. — Danielle Tullo, House Beautiful, "8 Things You Need To Do To Get Rid Of Mice," 10 Aug. 2018 Our next day in Boise was for the birds — literally. — Joanne Dibona, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Boise trip is a capital idea," 5 July 2018 The correction officer approached the owl carefully, and managed to snare it in a box, according to Rita McMahon, a co-founder and director of the Wild Bird Fund, a nonprofit that provides medical care for migrant birds. — Aaron Robertson, New York Times, "An Unusual Jailbird Is Found at Rikers Island: A Snowy Owl," 3 July 2018 Jeannie and Bob shared passions for bird watching, music, clocks, and attending musicals especially at the Goodspeed Opera House. — courant.com, "Jeannie M. Franklin-Brown," 17 June 2018 Fire can be used to promote growth of native plant species and natural habitat for birds and other wildlife. — Scott Huddleston, San Antonio Express-News, "Controlled burn on the Mission Reach scheduled Tuesday," 11 June 2018 Vivid as the skeleton drawings are, Ms. van Grouw’s depictions of living birds and animals are equally engaging, charged with life. — Julie Zickefoose, WSJ, "‘Unnatural Selection’ Review: A Better Bird, Bit by Bit," 22 Nov. 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

EASY PEEPERS North River Wildlife Sanctuary offers birding by van at monthly outings. — Robert Knox, BostonGlobe.com, "Floral art makes the books bloom in Norwell," 20 Apr. 2018 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

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.