birdlike

American  

[burd-lahyk] / ˈbɜrdˌlaɪk /

adjective

1. having the appearance or characteristics of a bird, as quickness, lightness, fragility, etc..

   birdlike gestures.

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Other Word Forms

• unbirdlike adjective

Etymology

Origin of birdlike

First recorded in 1580–90; bird + -like

Example Sentences

An abbreviation of Archaeopteryx, a birdlike dinosaur, it started out making climbing harnesses.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 6, 2025

He is often drawn to physically resemble a penguin, dressed in a formal suit with a long birdlike nose, shuffling with a bit of a waddle.

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 5, 2024

The researchers identified them as the birdlike raptor Citipes elegans; both lacked growth marks on the bones and so were probably less than 1 year old, weighing as much as a modern-day turkey.

From Science Magazine • Dec. 7, 2023

But not one that the Merlin bird-song identification app from Cornell Lab of Ornithology picks up, as birdlike as it may sound.

From Seattle Times • Oct. 18, 2023

Then, birdlike, and in a hot-therapist kind of way, Mrs. Kurtz was looming over us, chirping, “Oh my goodness, Ryan Dean! What happened to you?”

From "Winger" by Andrew Smith