warm-blooded egg-laying vertebrates characterized by feathers and forelimbs modified as wings
"The heron stood motionless on a lily pad, its sharp beak poised to catch a fish while showcasing the defining feathered plumage and wing structure of all birds."
badminton equipment consisting of a ball of cork or rubber with a crown of feathers
"The shuttlecock flew erratically over the net because the player hit it too hard near the base of the feathers."
A member of the class of animals 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.
"After stealing from his employer, he got a bird for ten years instead of just community service."
A prison sentence.
In plain English: A bird is an animal with feathers and wings that can fly.
"The bird flew away from the tree."
Usage: Use "bird" to refer to a feathered animal that flies or hops, not as slang for a prisoner which belongs in formal or specific criminal contexts. Avoid calling someone a bird unless you are joking about their freedom status rather than describing actual wildlife.
To observe or identify wild birds in their natural environment.
"The guards birded the three rioters into a cell after they smashed the windows."
To bring into prison, to roof.
In plain English: To bird means to sneak around or hide away, usually to avoid trouble or get away from someone.
"The old man birded in the woods every morning to find rare species."
Usage: The verb "bird" is informal slang that means to put someone in jail or lock them up. You might hear it used jokingly when describing how police have detained a suspect.
A surname.
"My neighbor, Bird, told me to bring his lawn mower back because he forgot it in my driveway."
The word bird comes from Old English bridd, which originally referred specifically to young or flightless birds like chicks and fledglings rather than flying ones. By the 14th century, this term gradually replaced the older word fugol as the most common way to refer to all birds in English.