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Glite Dictionary
apodiform bird

apodiform bird

9.9
A bird with long wings and weak feet that spends most of its time flying like swifts and hummingbirds
  • noun
  • /ˈæpədɪˌfɔrm bɜrd/
  • Specialized
translation icon : ave apodiforme
  • The apodiform bird family includes both hummingbirds and swifts, known for their aerial skills.

Examples

  • Swifts are a common example of an apodiform bird seen gliding across the evening sky.

  • Many species of apodiform birds migrate during the winter.

  • An apodiform bird spends much of its life in flight, rarely perching on the ground.

  • The apodiform bird soared gracefully through the sky.

  • Swifts are a common example of an apodiform bird seen gliding across the evening sky.

  • An apodiform bird spends much of its life in flight, rarely perching on the ground.

  • The apodiform bird family includes both hummingbirds and swifts, known for their aerial skills.

Synonyms

bird
vsapodiform bird
∞ 1.0

A warm-blooded animal with feathers, wings, and a beak that usually flies

is a specialized nonpasserine kind adapted for long flight and weak feet
Apodiformes
vsapodiform bird
  • Specialized
9.9

A group of small birds like swifts and hummingbirds that fly very fast

is a nonpasserine type defined by long wings, weak feet, and much flight
order Apodiformes
vsapodiform bird
  • Specialized
9.9

A group of birds that includes swifts and hummingbirds

is a nonpasserine type that highlights sustained flight and weak feet

How Aerial

apodiform bird
  • Specialized
9.9
perching bird
  • Specialized
5.7

Surface Forms

apodiform bird singular
apodiform birds plural

Morphology

apodiform + bird

This is a straightforward adjective+noun combination: 'apodiform' describes a particular type of bird and 'bird' names the animal class, so the meaning is compositionally derived as 'a bird that is apodiform' (i.e. nonpasserine with long wings, weak feet, often in flight). Although 'apodiform' is specialized vocabulary, there is no idiomatic or metaphorical shift, so a learner who knows both constituent meanings can infer the phrase.

Etymology

Apodiform bird comes from old word parts a- and pod meaning 'without' and 'foot'. Because these birds have very small, weak feet and spend most of their lives flying, the name explains why they seem almost 'footless' and are known for living in the air.