birdie

1 of 2

noun

bird·​ie ˈbər-dē 

plural birdies

1

: a little bird

2

: a golf score of one stroke less than par on a hole compare eagle entry 1

3

: shuttlecock

In Asia, badminton is an obsession … . In one preliminary match in Malaysia, 21,000 people came out to watch the speeding birdie.

—Jennifer Boeth

birdie

2 of 2

verb

birdied; birdieing

transitive verb

: to score a birdie on

Examples of birdie in a Sentence

Noun

I made a birdie on the fifth hole.

I made birdie on the fifth hole.

Verb

She birdied the second hole.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Meanwhile, Maverick McNealy (great name) won his first PGA Tour title with a walk-off birdie, the exclamation point to a fantastic Sunday of golf. —Chris Branch, The Athletic, 25 Nov. 2024

The course offers dramatic long-range views of the Pacific Ocean, and the ocean breeze is the only natural defense from players tearing through the course with birdies in bunches. —Jay Ginsbach, Forbes, 6 Nov. 2024

Verb

Lake Nona freshman Alexandra Snyder birdied the third playoff hole to capture the state title. —Alex Kushel, Sun Sentinel, 21 Nov. 2024

McIlroy birdied two of his initial six holes, and trailed Schauffele by a single shot through Schauffele’s first four holes and grinded out the finish, collecting only one birdie in his final nine holes. —Roderick Boone, Charlotte Observer, 11 May 2024

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1768, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1921, in the meaning defined above