wing beat

noun

a complete cycle of moving the wing by a bird when flying

Nearby words

winfred, winfrey, wing, wing and wing, wing bar, wing beat, wing bit, wing bolt, wing bow, wing case, wing chair

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

Examples from the Web for wing beat

There must be somewhat on which its wing-beat shall fall, stepping stones for its hurrying feet.
Among the Forces|Henry White Warren
But as the wing-beat increased in speed the lower loop gradually faded out.
Birds in Flight|W. P. Pycraft
The first wing-beat hurled Professor Ravenden headlong with a broken collar-bone.
The Flying Death|Samuel Hopkins Adams
There is no need, here, to muffle the sound of the wing-beat.
Birds in Flight|W. P. Pycraft

But the first wing-beat of true love sends it far beyond such struggles.
The Hated Son|Honore de Balzac