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

They likely are wasting their time: the data these early birds obtain don’t provide an advantage — and may actually lead them astray.

From MarketWatch

But consider this: She invested much more money than the early bird, made regular contributions for a much longer period, yet still lagged her counterpart by more than $14,000.

From New York Times

The animals studied aren’t just early birds: They are sensitive to climactic shifts.

From Washington Post

My parents, too — they are still married and more or less sleep okay despite Dad’s snoring and early bird tendencies and Mom’s insomnia and night owl tendencies.

From Washington Post

Pappas says her family never leaves home without them, because they help to head off tension between the night owls and early birds in the family.

From Washington Post