avian

[ ey-vee-uh n ]

/ ˈeɪ vi ən /

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adjective

of or relating to birds.

Nearby words

Origin of avian

First recorded in 1865–70; avi- + -an

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for avian

“Vicious pecking, avian hysteria, mysterious deaths, and even cannibalism” are the results, he writes.
The History of the Chicken: How This Humble Bird Saved Humanity|William O’Connor|December 27, 2014|DAILY BEAST
You were commended after the avian flu pandemic for your ability to forge such close friendships with international leaders.
Meet America’s New Top Ebola Fighter|Abby Haglage|September 26, 2014|DAILY BEAST
These men are like avian pied pipers" who lure problem birds out of the trees and "send them spiraling over the sloughs.
Great Weekend Reads|The Daily Beast|February 12, 2011|DAILY BEAST
This is a worrisome phenomenon, especially as major health threats like avian and swine flu grow in importance.
U.S. Debunks Autism Myth|Adam Winkler|March 13, 2010|DAILY BEAST

Now comes the perfect storm of avian, swine, and human flu, just in time for a national health plan.
Obama as Muhammad Ali|Kathleen Parker|April 29, 2009|DAILY BEAST
In this ridge all the layers coalesce, and I therefore take it to be equivalent to the primitive streak of the avian blastoderm.
The Works of Francis Maitland Balfour, Volume 1|Francis Maitland Balfour
He evidently subserves some useful purpose in the avian community, or he would not be treated with so much consideration.
Our Bird Comrades|Leander S. (Leander Sylvester) Keyser
It has seldom been my fortune to listen to a finer pot-pourri of avian music.
Birds of the Rockies|Leander Sylvester Keyser
Therefore, the term obturator internus is inappropriate for the avian muscle and must be abandoned.
Variation in the Muscles and Nerves of the Leg in|E. Bruce Holmes
It must not be supposed, however, that the syrinx does not perform an important function in the production of avian melody.
Our Bird Comrades|Leander S. (Leander Sylvester) Keyser

British Dictionary definitions for avian

avian

/ (ˈeɪvɪən) /

adjective

of, relating to, or resembling a bird

Word Origin for avian

C19: from Latin avis bird

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

Word Origin and History for avian