Longman Dictionary English

Explore Birds Topic Show all entries from Topic: Birds
From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English
Related topics: Birds
birdbird /bɜːd $ bɜːrd/ ●●● S2 W2 noun [countable] 1 BIRDHBPa creature with wings and feathers that can usually fly. Many birds sing and build nests, and female birds lay eggs wild birds The dawn was filled with the sound of birds. a flock of birds (=a group of birds flying together) a wooden bird cage2 WOMAN British English informal not polite a word meaning a young woman, which some people think is offensive3 → the birds and the bees4 → a little bird told me (something)5 → birds of a feather (flock together)6 → give somebody the bird7 → a bird in the hand (is worth two in the bush)8 → the bird has flown9 → be (strictly) for the birds10 → wise/wily/funny/weird etc old bird11 → do bird → early bird at early1(9), → kill two birds with one stone at kill1(13)COLLOCATIONStypes of birda wild birdOur organization aims to protect wild birds.a bird of prey (=that hunts and eats small animals)A single bird of prey hovered overhead.a game bird (=that people shoot and eat)They hunt game birds such as ducks and pheasants.a seabird/sea birdSea birds are often the victims of oil spills.a songbird (=that makes pleasant sounds in order to attract other birds)Hedges provide good protection for songbirds.a migratory bird (=that moves to different regions for the summer and winter)This route is taken by many migratory birds going south.a flightless bird (=that cannot fly)The emu is a large flightless Australian bird.phrasesa flock of birds (=a large number of birds together)Suddenly a flock of birds flew up into the sky.bird + NOUNbird song (=musical sounds that birds make)The forest is full of bird song at all times of the year.bird watching (=the activity of watching wild birds)One of his hobbies is bird watching.a bird watcherThe coast path is a paradise for bird watchers.verbsa bird fliesSome birds fly incredible distances.a bird soars (=flies very high in the sky)We watched birds soar in the blue sky above.a bird swoops down (=it suddenly flies down)The bird swoops down on its prey.a bird flaps its wings (=it moves its wings up and down)The baby birds were trying to flap their wings.a bird sings (=makes musical sounds)I woke up to hear the birds singing outside.a bird chirps/twitters (=makes short high sounds)Birds chirped to one another from different branches of the tree.a bird squawks (=makes a loud unpleasant sound)The bird in the cage started squawking.a bird builds a nestBy March many birds have already built nests.a bird nestsMany birds are nesting on the river banks.a bird lays its eggsThe bird lays a single egg on the ground.a bird pecks (at) something (=makes small movements with its head)Some birds were pecking at the remains of a sandwich.a bird perches (=stands on a something above the ground)Beautiful white birds perched on the tree's branches.a bird hops (=makes small jumping movements)A small bird was hopping across the grass.a bird migratesThe birds migrate from South America to North American breeding grounds.
Examples from the Corpus
bird• Animals, birds, insects, people were all pulled into the joke of life.• The feed is examined carefully, and at the slaughterhouse any bird with an appearance of disease is discarded.• The tree was full of tiny, brightly colored birds.• Ron Deacon is adoptive father to five love bird chicks, who need constant care and attention.• Fortunately most birds were not shy, in fact many were ridiculously tame.• A small party of bird watchers rounded a bend in the path fifty yards away and I beckoned them to hurry.• He's a strange old bird.• Brood parasitic birds are becoming favoured examples in studies of coevolution.flock of birds• These young people, much like a flock of birds, settled along the Joneses' street frontage.• The pupils flocked out of the rooms like a flock of birds.• A flock of birds flew homewards very high over Ringer's Foin.• Look out for flocks of birds tucking into it - among them will be rooks.• Steel met steel with a force that sent a nearby flock of birds shrieking into the air.• Other dories were already launched, oars flying out in the cove toward the moorings like a panicked flock of birds.• The composition of the flocks of birds following the fishing-boats will be changing.• A whole flock of birds; and not loopy-plumed songbirds, but scrappy, raucous brown birds with teeth.Origin bird Old English bridd
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