Definitions
from The Century Dictionary.
- Unlike or unworthy of a bird.
Etymologies
Sorry, no etymologies found.
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Help support Wordnik (and make this page ad-free) by adopting the word unbirdly.
Examples
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The female bird selects her mate today, goes out and makes her choice, and it is not considered unbirdly either.
In Times Like These 1915
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Sounds so unbirdly but it gives Twitter fans everything they would want from Twitter.
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Sounds so unbirdly but it gives Twitter fans everything they would want from Twitter.
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Sounds so unbirdly but it gives Twitter fans everything they would want from Twitter.
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Sounds so unbirdly but it gives Twitter fans everything they would want from Twitter.
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Sounds so unbirdly but it gives Twitter fans everything they would want from Twitter.
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Sounds so unbirdly but it gives Twitter fans everything they would want from Twitter.
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Sounds so unbirdly but it gives Twitter fans everything they would want from Twitter.
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Sounds so unbirdly but it gives Twitter fans everything they would want from Twitter.
reesetee commented on the word unbirdly
An actual word, according to OED. :-)
December 3, 2008
trivet commented on the word unbirdly
‽
December 3, 2008
reesetee commented on the word unbirdly
True! It means, predictably, "not birdlike."
December 3, 2008
sarra commented on the word unbirdly
“While at the bird sanctuary I was set upon by a creature which gave a quite unbirdly scream”, for example :)
December 3, 2008
trivet commented on the word unbirdly
I'm just wondering what, exactly, could be described as unbirdly... What is the opposite of a bird?
December 3, 2008
reesetee commented on the word unbirdly
Good question! :-) The "official" definition is:
Unlike a bird; not maintaining the character of a bird.
The examples:
a1667 COWLEY Verses & Ess., Ode upon Liberty iii, None so degenerous and unbirdly prove,..None but a few unhappy Houshold Foul. 1834 K. H. DIGBY Mores Cath. V. vi. 185 If we would not degenerate below our species, and even unbirdly prove, we should rise to salute the dawn.
December 3, 2008
trivet commented on the word unbirdly
Huh.
*vows how to drop unhappy Household Foul into conversation today.*
December 4, 2008
pterodactyl commented on the word unbirdly
Yes! A new word for my list "Words that look like adverbs but aren't"!
And trivet -- I adore your interrobang!
December 4, 2008
sionnach commented on the word unbirdly
I think sarra's fine sentence would read even better if "unbirdly" were replaced by "otherbirdly".
Or maybe "a quite unbirdly, almost otherwordly, scream".
Never mind.
December 4, 2008
bilby commented on the word unbirdly
Reminds me a bit of burdalane.
December 4, 2008
oshendoschen commented on the word unbirdly
oh, fantastic!
December 6, 2008