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🤪 A foolish person 🐦 A seabird 🎥 A video insert 🚗 A small vehicle
noddy

noddy

9.9
A small tropical sea bird often seen near islands
  • noun
  • /ˈnɑːdi/
  • Offensive
translation icon : charrán
  • terns and noddies

Examples

  • Terns and frigate birds on the beach, gannets and gulls on the rocks, noddies and gelinottes in the trees, tropic birds and papangoes in the air.

    Fiction book (2001)

  • A noddy perched on the coastal rocks, watching the waves crash below.

  • The birdwatchers were excited to spot a noddy among the other tropical seabirds.

  • As a noddy, the bird had distinct black and white feathers that set it apart from other terns.

Synonyms

birdy
vsnoddy
  • Baby Talk
21 7.9

A small bird often named by children

refers to a particular tropical seabird rather than a general childish label
tern
vsnoddy
8 5.7

A small bird like a gull with narrow wings and a forked tail that lives by the sea

refers specifically to tropical species rather than general coastal seabirds
dickybird
vsnoddy
  • Archaic
1 9.6

A small bird people talk about to children

denotes the real tropical seabird rather than a playful or vague bird name
dickey-bird
vsnoddy
  • Baby Talk
9.9

A small bird adults call when talking to children

names a real tropical seabird rather than a playful child's small bird word
dicky-bird
vsnoddy
  • Archaic
9.6

A small bird adults often mention to children

refers to an actual tropical seabird rather than a playful child's word
dickeybird
vsnoddy
  • Archaic
9.9

A small bird that adults point out to children

means a specific tropical seabird rather than a general childish small bird term

Antonyms

wise man
66 4.2

A man respected for good judgment who gives advice to others

Surface Forms

noddy singular
noddies plural

Morphology

noddy = nod (opaque) = nod + y

Although the form suggests 'nod' + '-y', the bird name and the associated 'foolish person' sense are lexicalized and not predictable from the parts.

Etymology

Noddy the sea bird is named from the same simple idea, either for its slow head movements like a nod or because it acts tame and 'simple'. So the bird's name and the word for a foolish person share the idea of being trusting or easy to catch.