avian
Americanadjective
adjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of avian
Explanation
Anything avian relates to birds. Avian flu is the bird flu, which birds can pass to humans. Someone who flies a plane is an aviator, and that may help you remember that avian things have to do with birds. Feathers are part of avian anatomy. Laying eggs is the avian method of reproduction. Bird-watchers are avian experts who know how to tell birds apart. Ornithologists are also avian experts: they’re scientists who study birds.
Vocabulary lists containing avian
Words of a Feather: Unflappable Avian Vocabulary
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More Animal Adjectives
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This Week in Words: August 25 - 31, 2018
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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.
The necropsy found that highly pathogenic avian influenza was the “primary underlying cause of her decline,” and that the infection caused a severe stomach ulcer.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 15, 2026
The bassist’s composition “The Bluesy Bird in Bob’s Backyard” draws its inspiration from avian visitors to Mr. Hurst’s home in Michigan.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 28, 2026
Most care deeply about their avian companions and believe feeding them is helpful.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 24, 2026
As avian flu spread like wildfire through the industry, poultry farmers were forced to cull 26 million birds, leading prices to skyrocket.
From Barron's ● Aug. 5, 2026
The site, exposed by the construction of a road, is an avian graveyard.
From "1491" by Charles C. Mann
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Get a wordDefinitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
