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bird

Pronunciation: /ˈbɜːd/

The English word “bird” has 20 meanings listed here.

noun

  1. An animal of the clade (traditionally class) Aves in the phylum Chordata, characterized by being warm-blooded, having feathers and wings usually capable of flight, having a beaked mouth, and laying eggs.
  2. Any winged animal.
  3. A young bird, a nestling.
  4. A man, fellow.
  5. A girl or woman, especially one considered sexually attractive.
  6. A girlfriend.
  7. An aircraft.
  8. A satellite.
  9. Booing and jeering, especially as done by an audience expressing displeasure at a performer.
  10. The vulgar hand gesture in which the middle finger is extended.
  11. A yardbird.
  12. A kilogram of cocaine.
  13. A penis.
  14. Snowbird (retiree who moves to a warmer climate).
  15. A prison sentence.

verb

  1. To observe or identify wild birds in their natural environment.
  2. To catch or shoot birds; to hunt birds.
  3. To seek for game or plunder; to thieve.
  4. To transmit via satellite.

adjective

  1. Able to be passed with very little work; having the nature of a bird course.

Etymology

From Middle English bird, brid, from Old English bridd (“chick, fledgling, chicken”), of uncertain origin (see Old English bridd for more). Originally from a term used of birds that could not fly (chicks, fledglings, chickens) as opposed to the general Old English term for flying birds, fugol (modern fowl). Gradually replaced fowl as the most common term starting in the 14th century. The…

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Definitions are from Wiktionary, extracted by Kaikki.org, and are available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence.