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birdman

American  
[burd-man, -muhn] / ˈbɜrdˌmæn, -mən /

noun

  • birdmen
    plural
  1. an ornithologist.

  2. a bird watcher.

  3. a person who keeps or tends birds.

  4. a person who hunts birds for food or sport; fowler.

  5. Informal. aviator.


birdman British  
/ ˈbɜːdˌmæn, -mən /

noun

  1. a man concerned with birds, such as a fowler or ornithologist

  2. a man who attempts to fly using his own muscle power

  3. an obsolete informal name for airman

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms


Etymology

Origin of birdman

First recorded in 1690–1700; bird + man


Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

To be taken seriously, a birdman needed a large collection of taxidermied birds, skins and eggs.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 23, 2026

Nearby is an ancient copper plate of a birdman displayed as an example of creativity.

From Washington Post ● Jul. 27, 2022

Finally, we perhaps, got some further insight into who the birdman might be or might be working for, based on the fact that he let Ray live.

From New York Times ● Jul. 5, 2015

Or a birdman, soaring through the canyons of downtown Chicago.

From Chicago Tribune ● Jun. 29, 2011

“The birdman hasn’t come back, then,” I said.

From "Beyond the Bright Sea" by Lauren Wolk

He presides as an unofficial spokesman for the birdmen, at times to the chagrin of his peers who are reluctant to expose their passion to criticism.

From New York Times ● Jul. 31, 2015

He even has a raptor-esque face, speaking of birdmen.

From New York Times ● Jul. 5, 2015

Photograph: Courtesy Galerie Kadel Willborn and Galleria Raffaella Cortese With moonlit locations and a cast of characters including Anubis, birdmen and fauns, Mathilde Rosier's theatrical works always set the scene for some long-forgotten rite.

From The Guardian ● Aug. 18, 2011

I'd say the birdmen were a tougher sell.

From Chicago Tribune ● Jun. 29, 2011

At a tango tea held in the hotel that afternoon we were pointed out as the intrepid birdmen who had done the deed of the day.

From Cavalry of the Clouds by Alan Bott

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