bird

1 of 2

noun

ˈbərd 

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

: clay pigeon

5

a

: 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

birdlike

ˈbərd-ˌlīk 

adjective

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

see also for the birds

bird

2 of 2

verb

birded; birding; birds

intransitive verb

: to observe or identify wild birds in their habitats

Synonyms of bird

Noun

• person
• man
• life
• guy
• creature

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

The California least tern is a white-and-black bird less than 10 inches long that breeds only in a few areas along the bays and lagoons of California and Mexico and is in danger of extinction because of coastal development. —Phil Diehl, San Diego Union-Tribune, 13 Jan. 2026

Two of the monkeys had applauded the event with hopping and grunts, but the other three had shot like arrows into the trees, chasing after the peculiar bird that had remained indifferent to their antics. —Literary Hub, 12 Jan. 2026

Verb

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

More than 900 acres of the park’s wetlands can be accessed through a locked gate, only for visitors going birding, kayaking, hiking, and more. —Amanda Ogle, Travel + Leisure, 15 Dec. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English brid, bird, from Old English bridd

First Known Use

Noun

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1917, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing bird

• a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush
• bird colonel
• bird dog
• bird-dogging
• bird-eating spider
• bird feeder
• bird flu
• bird louse
• bird of paradise
• bird of passage
• bird of prey
• bird pepper
• bird's-eye
• bird's-eye maple
• bird's-eye view
• bird's-foot trefoil
• bird's-foot violet
• bird's-nest fern
• bird's nest soup
• bird spider
• bird-watch
• bird-watcher
• butcher-bird
• crocodile bird
• dickey bird
• dicky bird
• dolly bird
• early bird
• elephant bird
• flip (someone) the bird
• free as a bird
• frigate bird
• gallows bird
• game bird
• give (someone) the bird
• goliath bird-eating spider
• goliath bird spider
• man-o'-war bird
• quetzal bird
• rare bird
• secretary bird
• state bird
• tropic bird
• wading bird

Rhymes for bird

• blurred
• burd
• curd
• curred
• furred
• gerd
• gird
• herd
• kurd
• nerd
• purred
• sherd

Kids Definition

bird

1 of 2 noun

ˈbərd 

1

: 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

Bird

biographical name

ˈbərd 

Larry (Joe) 1956–     American basketball player