bird
bird — noun
1. an egg-laying animal with feathers, a beak, two legs, and wings; many kinds can
an egg-laying animal with feathers, a beak, two legs, and wings; many kinds can fly
A small brown bird landed on the kitchen window during breakfast.
collocation: a bird lands on a window
Two bright birds circled above the rice field after the tractor stopped.
pattern: be a strange bird
Ella heard a bird singing in the tree beside her bus stop.
The injured bird drank water from a box by our back door.
Several sea birds followed the boat as Uncle Ray cleaned fish.
文法句型
a bird
birds in the garden
hear a bird singing
用法筆記
This is the general everyday word. For a baby bird, chick is more specific, and poultry is used for farm birds kept for eggs or meat.
常見錯誤
2. an informal word for a person, especially someone who seems unusual in a memorab
an informal word for a person, especially someone who seems unusual in a memorable way
That old bird next door feeds twelve cats and sings at midnight.
pattern: old bird for an unusual person
Our drama coach is a funny bird, but every student likes him.
pattern: funny bird
At the wedding, everyone thought the man in the green coat was a strange bird.
Even the police officer said the missing uncle was an odd bird.
At the market, everyone knew Mr. Cole as a harmless old bird.
文法句型
an odd bird
a funny old bird
a strange bird
用法筆記
Mostly British and informal. It often appears with adjectives like odd, funny, strange, or old, and it usually suggests personality rather than age or gender.
3. an old-fashioned informal word used rudely about a young woman
an old-fashioned informal word used rudely about a young woman
The rude customer called the waitress a silly bird.
offensive use: call someone a bird
In the old novel, the boys talk about meeting birds at dances.
dated plural use
Grandpa still says bird for young women, which annoys Kofi.
The actor plays a man who calls every girl in town a bird.
At the pub, Leah told Ben not to call him bird.
- girl
neutral everyday word, often for someone younger than an adult woman
- young woman
neutral and polite, with no rude tone
- chick
also informal and can sound sexist or disrespectful
文法句型
call someone a bird
pretty bird
birds at the dance
用法筆記
Mostly British and now often dated. In present-day English, this use can sound sexist or insulting, so young woman, woman, or girl is usually safer.
常見錯誤
4. the light object with feathers that players hit back and forth in badminton
the light object with feathers that players hit back and forth in badminton
Nina served the bird deep to the back line.
pattern: serve the bird
A wet bird dropped straight down before Omar could hit it.
The coach tossed a new bird across the net.
During the rally, the bird clipped the tape and fell.
Lena picked up the bird and checked the bent feathers.
- shuttlecock
the full standard term in badminton
- birdie
a very common informal sports word for the same object
- shuttle
a shorter sports word often used during play
文法句型
serve the bird
hit the bird
pick up the bird
用法筆記
Used in badminton as an informal short form. Shuttlecock is the standard full word in rules, lessons, and product names.
bird — verb
1. to spend time outdoors watching wild birds and trying to identify them
to spend time outdoors watching wild birds and trying to identify them
At sunrise, three friends birded beside the lake with small guidebooks.
pattern: bird beside + place
Every April, Rosa and Ken bird along the north coast.
pattern: bird along + route
The class birded in the park and spotted two owls.
On holiday, my parents bird before breakfast near the marsh.
Several tourists birded quietly while the guide set up the telescope.
文法句型
bird in + place
bird along + coast
bird at dawn
用法筆記
Always intransitive in this sense. It is used mostly by birdwatchers; in broader everyday English, many speakers say watch birds or go birdwatching instead.