bird's foot
- noun
- /bɜrdz fʊt/
:
pie de ave
- The bird's foot gripped the branch tightly as it perched overhead.
Examples
-
Scientists studied the structure of the bird's foot to understand how it helps in walking and swimming.
-
The bird's foot was covered in mud.
-
The injured bird's foot made it difficult for the animal to land safely.
-
Look at the size of that bird's foot!
-
The bird's foot helped it grasp branches tightly as it perched on a tree.
-
During the nature hike, we noticed the bird's foot prints in the soft mud near the stream.
-
The eagle's bird's foot is designed for catching prey with its sharp claws.
Synonyms
∞
1.0
The lower part of the leg below the ankle that supports standing and walking
2
3.0
A foot with skin between the toes that helps animals swim
1
8.0
A foot with skin between the toes that helps animals like ducks or frogs swim
A bird foot with two toes pointing forward and two pointing backward
A bird foot with the first two toes pointing backward and the other two pointing forward
A foot with flaps on each toe that helps a bird swim
The end part of an animal leg used for standing and for moving, like a human foot, hoof or claw
The lowest part of an animal's leg used for standing or walking
Surface Forms
Morphology
bird's + foot
The phrase is fully compositional: 'bird's' is the possessive of 'bird' (of a bird) and 'foot' is the body part, so the meaning 'the foot of a bird' is directly derivable from the constituents. This possessive noun+N construction is common and cross-linguistically transparent, so a B1 learner who knows 'bird' and 'foot' will understand it.
Etymology
Bird's foot paints a simple picture: a bird's foot has toes and claws that grip branches or help it swim. So it means 'the foot of a bird'.