: 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.
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.
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
An amusing, and yet accurate, dictionary of birding terms that includes delightful birdorable art on nearly every page.—Grrlscientist, Forbes, 18 Mar. 2025 The course will introduce the fundamentals of birding over three consecutive Wednesdays: March 12, March 19 and March 26.—San Diego Union-Tribune, 10 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
Share