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bird

bird

1 7.2
A small object with feathers that is hit over a net in badminton
  • noun
  • /bɜrd/
: volante
  • On traditional wooden flutes, the bird is usually secured to the flute body with a leather cord.

Examples

  • After the practice bird, the squad begins to shoot clay pigeons released electronically by the "puller."

    Academic text (1995)
  • In badminton, you score points by hitting the bird over the net to your opponent.

  • By pulling on it, one could make the bird flap its wings.

    Fiction book (1993)
  • We agree to meet at 7:00 A.M., just outside the Jerusalem Bird Observatory.

    Academic text (2001)
  • During the match, the players were focused on returning the bird as accurately as possible.

  • She carefully placed the bird on the serving tray to prepare for the game.

Synonyms

shuttlecock
vsbird
3 4.2

A small cone-shaped object with feathers or plastic that players hit in badminton

focuses on a rounded cork or rubber base and feather crown rather than a general name
shuttle
vsbird
1 3.2

A light feathered object hit over the net in badminton

is the specific sporting object with a cork or rubber base and feather crown
birdie
vsbird
1 4.1

A light object with feathers or plastic used in badminton instead of a ball

specifies a rounded cork or rubber base with a crown of feathers

Idioms

to flip the bird
  • Offensive
7 9.9

To show anger by holding up the middle finger at someone

a little bird
  • Informal
3 8.5

Someone told the speaker something without saying who

2 8.1

You say this when you hear something but do not say who told you

People who act early are more likely to succeed

1 6.0

To eat only a very small amount of food

9.7

A thing someone keeps in their heart that brings comfort

Compounds

28 2.8

A person who gets up or arrives early to gain an advantage

14 1.0

A very young bird without enough feathers to fly or leave the nest

9 1.4

A container hung outside that holds food for wild birds

7 3.8

A bird that hunts and eats other animals, like eagles or hawks

7 2.8

A person who watches wild birds for fun or study

5 1.0

A place where a bird lays eggs and takes care of its baby birds

4 7.2

A dog that finds and brings back birds for hunters

rare bird
  • Informal
4 7.7

A person who is not like most people in behavior or ideas

A bird that cannot fly, for example an ostrich or kiwi

A tropical plant with bright flowers that look like a bird in flight

3 2.0

A bird that lives near the sea, like a gull

A place where birds are protected so people can see them

3 4.3

A bird active at night, like an owl

2 1.2

A baby bird that is not yet an adult

2 9.5

A large sea bird with long wings that looks clumsy on land

bird shot
  • Specialized
2 5.8

Small round lead pellets used in shotgun shells to hunt small birds

2 3.2

A bird like a pheasant that people hunt for food or sport

1 4.0

A bird that walks in shallow water to feed on beaches and river mouths

mynah bird
  • Indian
1 7.5

A tropical bird from Asia that copies human speech and is often kept as a pet

1 1.7

A bird that lives in or near fresh water like lakes and rivers

1 1.0

Food made or mixed for birds, often seeds and grains

1 7.8

Large tropical seabird with long wings and a forked tail that often steals food from other birds while flying

bird of paradise
  • Australian
1 6.3

A brightly colored bird from New Guinea with showy feathers and a special mating dance

1 1.3

A small yellow songbird often kept as a pet for its singing

1 3.6

A bird with long legs that stands in shallow water to catch fish and insects

myna bird
  • Indian
1 7.3

A tropical Asian bird with glossy black feathers that copies sounds

1 1.4

Food for birds, usually a mix of seeds and grains

1 3.5

A bird that lives near water and can swim, wade or dive

yard bird
  • Offensive
1 9.9

A new soldier who does only boring chores as punishment

1 8.4

A person who is very hurt inside and finds it hard to trust others

dickey-bird
  • Baby Talk
1 9.9

A small bird adults call when talking to children

scrub bird
  • Australian
1 9.5

A small Australian bird like a wren that runs fast in low dense bushes

queer bird
  • Archaic
1 9.4

A person who acts in an odd or unusual way

bird-footed dinosaur
  • Specialized
1 9.9

A dinosaur that eats meat and has short front legs and strong back legs for running

A bird that travels to another region each year

bird family
  • Specialized
1 4.7

A group of related birds that share similar body shape and habits

A very large bird from Madagascar that could not fly and lived long ago

perching bird
  • Specialized
1 5.7

A bird with feet that hold onto branches, like a robin or sparrow

widow bird
  • South African
1 9.8

A mostly black African bird whose male has very long tail feathers

1 8.1

A small songbird from North America with bright blue male feathers

gallinaceous bird
  • Specialized
1 8.6

A heavy ground bird like a chicken kept for meat or sport

1 7.9

A small wild cherry tree with red or black fruit that birds often eat

ratite bird
  • Specialized
1 9.0

A large flightless bird like an ostrich or emu with a flat breastbone

bird app
  • Texting
1 8.2

An app or website where people post short public messages, like Twitter

1 8.2

A mostly white sea bird with webbed feet and long tail feathers that lives in warm seas far from land

secretary bird
  • South African
1 8.4

A large African bird with long legs and feathers on its head that walks to hunt snakes and small animals

A person who moves from place to place and does not settle

1 8.9

A small plant from Central America with tiny red fruits that are very hot to eat

1 7.0

A bird that lives mainly on the open sea far from land

bird of night
  • Archaic
1 7.1

A bird active at night that hunts small animals, for example an owl

bird louse
  • Specialized
1 9.9

A small wingless insect that lives on birds and bites their skin or feathers

pelagic bird
  • Specialized
1 8.4

A bird that lives and travels far out at sea

1 7.6

A person who keeps and cares for birds as a hobby

oscine bird
  • Specialized
1 9.5

A bird that makes complex songs with a special part in its throat

anseriform bird
  • Specialized
1 8.9

A bird with webbed feet that swims, like ducks, geese, and swans

1 9.9

A large black tropical bird with a high crest and a long feathered neck wattle

6.8

A small bird with a bright blue patch on its head often seen in gardens

A mostly white tropical bird with webbed feet and long tail feathers that lives at sea

A small cherry tree with small berries that birds eat

bird of Jove
  • Archaic
9.9

A poetic name for an eagle that often stands for power

bird of Juno
  • Archaic
9.9

A large bird from Southeast Asia that people keep for bright feathers and beauty

A climbing plant with dense groups of purple-blue flowers often found in fields and gardens

A small forest plant with leaves like wintergreen and pink-purple flowers

A thing that people put in fields to keep birds away from crops

caprimulgiform bird
  • Specialized
9.9

A long-winged night bird like a nightjar that eats insects in the air

carinate bird
  • Specialized
6.9

A bird with a raised ridge on its breastbone that holds strong wing muscles

columbiform bird
  • Specialized
9.9

A bird like a pigeon or dove with a small head and short legs

A small European tree with clusters of sweet-smelling white flowers and black fruit eaten by birds

coraciiform bird
  • Specialized
9.9

A short-legged bird that lives in trees and usually nests in holes

A bird in the crow family like a crow or raven

A small African bird that eats bugs from crocodiles' mouths

cuculiform bird
  • Specialized
9.9

A bird like a cuckoo or roadrunner with two toes pointing forward and two back for perching securely

adjutant bird
  • Indian
9.9

A large stork that stands tall and walks upright in India

Surface Forms

bird singular
birds plural

Etymology

Bird in badminton is a short name for the shuttlecock because it is made with feathers and flies like a small bird, so players simply call the shuttlecock a 'bird'.