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• early bird
  early bird

  noun

  a person who rises at an early hour.
• Early Bird
  Early Bird

  noun

  one of a number of communications satellites, the first of which was launched in 1965 into a stationary orbit and provided telephone channels between Europe and the US See also Intelsat

early bird

American  

noun

early birds plural

1. a person who rises at an early hour.

2. a person who arrives before others, as for the purpose of gaining some advantage.

   The early birds got the best seats for the play.

3. (initial capital letters) the first of the Intelsat series of communications satellites, orbited (1965) by Intelsat.

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Early Bird ¹ British  

noun

1. one of a number of communications satellites, the first of which was launched in 1965 into a stationary orbit and provided telephone channels between Europe and the US See also Intelsat

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early bird ² British  

noun

1. informal a person who rises early or arrives in good time

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• early birds
  plural

Etymology

Origin of early bird

First recorded in 1885–90

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

early bird Early Bird

This is a case of the early bird losing the worm.

From MarketWatch ● May 20, 2026

It was when it reported on matters of which I had zero awareness: my HRV balance, for example, or my chronotype, albeit a wishy-washy “late morning,” a designation I plan to flip to early bird.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 29, 2026

We all know that the early bird gets the worm, but new research shows they turn to something far more nutritious for their breakfast.

From Science Daily ● Mar. 12, 2024

“My character is like an early bird of women’s lib, which Bella becomes then too.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 6, 2024

“They say the early bird gets the worm. But isn’t it a bit too early for worms?”

From "The Unseen Guest" by Maryrose Wood

According to a report from The Daily Advocate & Early Bird News, Vance then claimed that school shootings are less common now than 15 to 20 years ago.

From Salon ● Jul. 18, 2024

Excellent dining options include Southern at Julep, upscale New American at The Huntsman Tavern and healthy bowls and salads at Early Bird, in addition to many brewing outfits and wine bars.

From Seattle Times ● Feb. 22, 2023

The head of sales promotion at my firm is a self-proclaimed Early Bird.

From New York Times ● Mar. 25, 2022

The first significant step in Norman’s competitive career came in 1949, at the St. Thomas Golf and Country Club, a one-day amateur event later known as the Early Bird.

From Golf Digest ● Apr. 1, 2020

Confusion to the Early Bird: May it and the worm both be picked up.

From Toasts and Forms of Public Address for Those Who Wish to Say the Right Thing in the Right Way by Pittenger, William