: 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
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.
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Noun
Everyone seemed concerned but there was nothing to be done because the bird was out of reach.—New York Times, 12 Feb. 2023 While Flaco had been spotted in various parts of the city, police admitted the bird was difficult to capture and was certainly a flight risk.—Tina Burnside, CNN, 9 Feb. 2023
Verb
From birding tourism to pest control and pollination, birds generate nearly $280 billion annually for the U.S. economy, the report finds.—Alayna Alvarez, Axios, 31 Mar. 2025 From birding to sailing, there are a host of adventures waiting for kids within Orange County’s network of camps.—Liz Ohanesian, Orange County Register, 23 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for bird
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
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