Jump to:

• 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

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.

---

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

---

early bird ² British  

noun

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

---

Etymology

Origin of early bird

First recorded in 1885–90

Example Sentences

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

From MarketWatch • May 20, 2026

Are you, like Lawler, an early bird up with the dawn?

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 22, 2026

Some tracks may belong to meat eating predators, others to plant eating dinosaurs, and some have even raised questions about whether early bird species were involved.

From Science Daily • Feb. 1, 2026

Upon arrival, attendees can pick out personality stickers with phrases like coffee addict, plant lover and early bird.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 21, 2025

Luckily, Anna’s an early bird, so I can head straight to Starbucks after dropping Mom off at work.

From "Leah on the Offbeat" by Becky Albertalli