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Glite Dictionary
🪤 A sticky trap 🪤 To coat with glue
to birdlime

to birdlime

9.9
To coat branches with a sticky substance to catch small birds
  • verb
  • Archaic
translation icon : cubrir con pegamento para aves
  • In the past, hunters would birdlime trees to trap small songbirds for food.

Examples

  • He birdlimed the trees to catch some sparrows.

  • He deftly birdlimed the twigs, hoping to catch nightingales at dawn.

  • Farmers sometimes birdlime the lower branches to protect their crops from flocks of sparrows.

  • They decided to birdlime the branches in the garden.

  • In the spring, many birdwatchers birdlime the trees to observe the migration of small birds.

  • To catch more birds, he carefully birdlimed the branches near the garden.

  • Each year, the local bird protection group birdlimes certain areas to monitor bird populations.

Synonyms

to lime
vsto birdlime
  • Archaic
9.9

To put a sticky substance on branches to catch small birds

means the same but uses the other verb form
to batfowl
vsto birdlime
  • Archaic
9.9

To catch birds by shining light on them at night

uses a sticky coating to trap birds rather than using light

Surface Forms

birdlime infinitive
birdlimed past
birdlimed past participle
birdliming present participle
birdlimes third person singular

Etymology

To birdlime (the verb) comes from the noun birdlime and simply means to 'glue' branches or twigs to catch birds. That's why to birdlime a tree is to cover its twigs with a sticky substance so birds get stuck.