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bird dog

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR bird dog 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.

RELATED WORDS

seek, pursue, follow, investigate, explore, tear, rush, expel, hunt, drive, trail, track, hound, annoy, bother, pester, goad, hector, harass, persecute

Nearby words

  1. bird band,
  2. bird call,
  3. bird cherry,
  4. bird colonel,
  5. bird dismount,
  6. bird face,
  7. bird farm,
  8. bird feed,
  9. bird feeder,
  10. bird flu

Origin of bird dog

An Americanism dating back to 1885–90

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
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019
British Dictionary definitions for birddog

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