bird dog

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See synonyms for: bird dog / bird-dogging on Thesaurus.com

noun

one of any of various breeds of dogs trained to hunt or retrieve birds.

Informal. a person hired to locate special items or people, especially a talent scout who seeks out promising athletes.

Slang. a person who steals another person's date.

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Origin of bird dog

An Americanism dating back to 1885–90

Other definitions for bird dog (2 of 2)

bird-dog

[ burd-dawg, -dog ]

/ ˈbɜrdˌdɔg, -ˌdɒg /

verb (used with object), bird-dogged, bird-dog·ging.Informal.

to follow, watch carefully, or investigate.

to seek out.

verb (used without object), bird-dogged, bird-dog·ging.

Informal. to follow or watch carefully.

Slang. to steal or attempt to steal another person's date.

Origin of bird-dog

v. use of bird dog

How to use bird dog in a sentence

It would be like if after the 40th pipe in Flappy Bird was a scarecrow.
Lost For Thousands of Strokes: 'Desert Golfing' Is 'Angry Birds' as Modern Art|Alec Kubas-Meyer|January 2, 2015|DAILY BEAST
While the chicken today might be the least exotic bird one can think of, it was once a gift that wowed kings.
The History of the Chicken: How This Humble Bird Saved Humanity|William O’Connor|December 27, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Exactly when the transition to modern domestic creature took place, for a bird that is wild to this day, is controversial.
The History of the Chicken: How This Humble Bird Saved Humanity|William O’Connor|December 27, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Mistletoes on mesquite trees in central Mexico have been linked to a greater abundance of tropical bird species.
Mistletoe is the Vampire of Plants|Helen Thompson|December 21, 2014|DAILY BEAST

He really believed that enumerating the bird population gave understanding.
Alfred Hitchcock’s Fade to Black: The Great Director’s Final Days|David Freeman|December 13, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Fourteen genera, representing about 19 species, of Mallophaga are reported for 20 different species of bird hosts.
Summer Birds From the Yucatan Peninsula|Erwin E. Klaas
The grass had a delightful fragrance, like new-mown hay, and was neatly wound around the tunnel, like the inside of a bird's-nest.
Davy and The Goblin|Charles E. Carryl
Many of his bird neighbors,p. 31 for instance, liked the same things to eat that he did.
The Tale of Grandfather Mole|Arthur Scott Bailey
Although the bird people didn't know it, he was anxious to reach his grandchildren.
The Tale of Grandfather Mole|Arthur Scott Bailey
And then Jolly Robin would feel ashamed that he had even thought of being so cruel to an infant bird, even if he was a Cowbird.
The Tale of Grandfather Mole|Arthur Scott Bailey

British Dictionary definitions for bird dog

bird dog

/ US and Canadian /

noun

hunting a dog used or trained to retrieve game birds after they are shot

verb bird-dog -dogs, -dogging or -dogged

informal to control closely with unceasing vigilance

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

bird dog

Origin of bird dog

Other definitions for bird dog (2 of 2)

Origin of bird-dog

Words related to bird dog

How to use bird dog in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for bird dog