Birman

noun

Bir·​man ˈbər-mən How to pronounce Birman (audio)
: a long-haired domestic cat of a breed originating in Burma (Myanmar) and resembling the Siamese in eye color and coat pattern but much stockier in build with paws symmetrically marked with white

Examples of Birman in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Camp paired the dress with Alexandre Birman sandal heels. Julia Teti, Footwear News, 26 Feb. 2026 Choupette’s life of luxury German fashion designer, photographer and creative director Karl Lagerfeld, who died in 2019 at 85, was someone who made the mistake of leaving money directly to his fluffy Birman cat, Choupette. Allison Anna Tait, The Conversation, 4 Nov. 2025 What breed of dogs and cats shed the most? For cats, pet food company Purina said the Persian, Birman, Himalayan and Turkish Angora cats shed the most out of all breeds. Krystal Nurse, USA Today, 22 Oct. 2025 More than 50 cats were submitted for The Star’s cutest cat contest, from tortoiseshells to Birman cats and everything in between — and your submissions have definitely stolen the hearts of the cat lovers in our newsroom. Eden Dinneen, Kansas City Star, 20 Oct. 2025 Based on the novel by Nobel Prize-winning Egyptian author Naguib Mahfouz, with a screenplay by Vicente Leñero, the film was produced by the legendary Alfredo Ripstein, whose Alameda Films is now run by his grandson, Daniel Birman Ripstein. Anna Marie De La Fuente, Variety, 12 Sep. 2025 Those breeds include Persian, Manx, British and American shorthaired, exotic shorthaired, Ragamuffin, Birman, Sphynx, Maine Coons and Norweigan Forest cats. Liz O'Connell, MSNBC Newsweek, 9 June 2025

Word History

Etymology

variant of Burman

First Known Use

1973, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of Birman was in 1973

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Cite this Entry

“Birman.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Birman. Accessed 27 Apr. 2026.

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