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yardbird

[ yahrd-burd ]
/ ˈyɑrdˌbɜrd /
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See synonyms for yardbird on Thesaurus.com
noun Slang.
a convict or prisoner.
an army recruit.
a soldier confined to camp and assigned to cleaning the grounds or other menial tasks as punishment for violation of the rules.
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Origin of yardbird

1940–45, Americanism;yard2 + bird, by analogy with jailbird

Words nearby yardbird

yarco, yard, yardage, yardang, yardarm, yardbird, yard goods, yard grass, Yardie, yarding, yardland
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

Words related to yardbird

convict, crook, culprit, felon, fugitive, gangster, hoodlum, hooligan, lawbreaker, mobster, offender, thug, criminal, miscreant, wrongdoer, delinquent, captive, detainee, hostage, baddie

British Dictionary definitions for yardbird

yardbird
/ (ˈjɑːdˌbɜːd) /
noun
US military an inexperienced, untrained, or clumsy soldier, esp one employed on menial duties
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
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