birdˈcage noun

1. A cage of wire or wicker for holding birds
2. The paddock at a racecourse (orig that at Newmarket, now Aust and NZ inf)

birdˈcall noun

1. A bird's song
2. An instrument for imitating birdsong

birdˈ-catcher noun

A professional catcher of birds

birdˈ-catching noun and adjective

bird-catching spider noun

A bird-spider

birdˈ-cherry noun

1. A small wild cherry tree (Prunus padus)
2. Its astringent fruit

birdˈ-dog noun (N American)

A dog trained to find or retrieve birds for hunters

transitive verb

To watch closely

birdˈ-eyed adjective

Quick-sighted

birdˈ-fancier noun

A person who breeds cagebirds, or keeps them for sale

bird flu noun

A highly contagious strain of influenza that affects poultry and can be transmitted to humans (also called avian flu or avian influenza)

birdˈ-hipped adjective

(of dinosaurs) having a pelvis slightly similar to a bird's, the pubis extending backwards to lie parallel with the upper pelvis, ornithischian

birdˈ-house noun (N American)

1. A nest box
2. An aviary

bird impact noun

Bird strike

birdˈing-piece noun

A fowling-piece

birdˈ-life noun

Birds collectively

birdˈ-lime noun

1. A sticky substance put on tree branches to catch birds
2. See also bird (n) above

birdˈ-louse noun (pl birdˈ-lice)

A louse-like insect of the order Mallophaga, parasitical on birds and mammals

birdˈ-lover noun

A person who likes birds and (often) who promotes their welfare

birdˈman noun

1. An ornithologist or a person otherwise concerned with birds
2. A man who flies (or attempts flight) using his own muscle power (usu sci-fi)
3. An airman (obs inf)

bird-nesting see bird's-nesting below.

bird of paradise noun

Any bird of the family Paradiseidae, inhabitants chiefly of New Guinea, closely related to the crows but of very beautiful plumage

bird-of-paradise flower noun

Any of various plants of the genus Strelitzia, found in S America and southern Africa, with flowers resembling birds' heads

bird of prey noun

One that devours other animals, applied usu to the Falconiformes

birdˈ-pepper noun

A species of Capsicum

birdˈ-scarer noun

A mechanical device for scaring birds away from growing crops

birdˈseed noun

1. Seed (hemp, etc) for feeding cagebirds
2. A thing trifling in amount, chickenfeed (slang)

bird'sˈ-eye noun

A kind of primrose, of speedwell, or of tobacco

adjective

1. Such as might be seen by a flying bird
2. Having markings like birds' eyes

bird's-eye maple noun

The timber of any of various N American maples, with markings in the grain reminiscent of birds' eyes

bird's-eye view noun

1. A general view from above
2. A general view of a subject

birdsˈfoot noun

A papilionaceous genus (Ornithopus) with clawlike pods

birdsfoot trefoil noun

A perennial plant (Lotus corniculatus) with flat-topped clusters of yellow flowers on stalks, often tinged with red (also bacon-and-eggs, eggs-and-bacon)

birdˈshot noun

Pellets suitable for shooting birds

birdˈ-skiing noun

Water-skiing with a winglike device that enables the skier to rise off the water

bird'sˈ-nest noun

1. The nest in which a bird lays and hatches her eggs
2. A name given to several plants from their appearance, esp Monotropa and Neottia (bird's-nest orchid) and Asplenium nidus (bird's-nest fern)

bird'sˈ-nesting or birdˈ-nesting noun

Seeking and robbing birds' nests

bird's-nest soup noun (Chinese cookery)

A soup made from swallows' nests

birdˈsong noun

A bird's or birds' musical vocalization

birdˈ-spider noun

1. Any of various large spiders (genus Mygale) preying on small birds, found in tropical America
2. Extended to others of the family Aviculariidae

bird strike noun

The collision of a bird or birds with an aircraft resulting in aircraft damage

bird table noun

A table, inaccessible to cats, for wild birds to feed on

birdˈwatcher noun

birdˈwatching noun

The observation of birds in their natural habitat

birdˈwing or birdwing butterfly noun

Any of various very large brightly-coloured butterflies of SE Asia

birdˈ-witted adjective

1. Flighty
2. Incapable of sustained attention

a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush

A certainty is not to be thrown away for a poor chance of something better

a little bird told me

I heard from a source I will not reveal

birds of a feather see under feather

do bird (slang; see bird (n)

Above) to serve a prison sentence

get (or give someone) the bird (ie the goose; orig theatre sl)

1. To be hissed (or to hiss someone)
2. Hence to be dismissed (or to dismiss someone)

in bird (slang; see bird (n)

Above) in prison

kill two birds with one stone

To accomplish one thing by the same means as, or by accomplishing, another

like a bird

With alacrity

(strictly) for the birds (slang)

Not to be taken seriously, of little value

the birds and the bees (informal)

The facts of life

watch the birdie (informal)

A humorous instruction to look at the camera when one is about to be photographed