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Glite Dictionary
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yardbird

yardbird

9.9
A person serving time in jail or prison
  • noun
  • /ˈjɑrdˌbɜrd/
  • Archaic
translation icon : presidiario
  • The reporter interviewed a former yardbird about life behind bars.

Examples

  • He became a yardbird after his conviction.

  • Not everyone can survive the challenges faced by a yardbird on the inside.

  • After years as a yardbird, he finally learned how the prison system worked.

  • Many yardbirds find it hard to adjust to life outside.

  • After spending five years in prison, he considered himself a seasoned yardbird.

  • Many yardbirds struggle to cope with the harsh reality of life behind bars.

  • She wrote a memoir detailing her experiences as a yardbird during her time in jail.

Synonyms

inmate
vsyardbird
337 3.5

A person kept in a prison, hospital, or similar place

is specific to people serving prison sentences, not all confined persons
convict
vsyardbird
137 3.2

A person who has been found guilty of a crime and is in prison

focuses on actual serving of sentence rather than legal verdict
con
vsyardbird
  • Slang
98 7.4

A person serving time in prison

is the same meaning but used as the longer or standard form
jailbird
vsyardbird
  • Offensive
14 7.8

A person who often goes to prison for crimes

refers to someone serving a sentence now rather than a repeat offender
termer
vsyardbird
1 9.9

A person who serves a prison sentence for a fixed time

is the slang term for someone serving a sentence rather than formal label
yard bird
vsyardbird
  • Slang
9.9

A person serving time in jail or prison

is the same slang sense but written as one word

Surface Forms

yardbird singular
yardbirds plural

Morphology

yardbird = yard + bird (opaque) = yard + bird

This is a compound of 'yard' and 'bird', but the slang sense 'a person serving a sentence in jail or prison' is not directly predictable from the literal meanings of the parts.

Etymology

Yardbird probably comes from the simple image of a yard and a bird — someone who spends much of their time in the prison yard, like a bird stuck in a small space. That's why yardbird came to mean 'a person serving time in jail'.