"yardbird" meaning in English

See yardbird in All languages combined, or Wiktionary

Noun

IPA: /ˈjɑːd.bəːd/ [UK], /ˈjɑɹd.bɝd/ [US] Audio: En-au-yardbird.ogg Forms: yardbirds [plural]
Etymology: From yard + bird. Attested since 1956 in the sense of ‘convict,’ derived from the idea of prison yards. During World War II, it meant ‘basic trainee’ among the armed forces. Etymology templates: {{af|en|yard|bird}} yard + bird, {{EtymOnLine}} Douglas Harper (2001–2025) “yardbird”, in Online Etymology Dictionary. Head templates: {{en-noun}} yardbird (plural yardbirds)
  1. (chiefly US, slang) A chicken. Tags: US, slang
    Sense id: en-yardbird-en-noun-0o9-0vCp Categories (other): American English
  2. (chiefly US, slang) A person who is imprisoned. Tags: US, slang Categories (topical): People Translations (person who is imprisoned): наказан войник (nakazan vojnik) [masculine] (Bulgarian), häkkilintu (Finnish), détenu (French), taulard (French), Knacki [masculine] (German), Knastbruder [masculine] (German), Knastschwester [feminine] (German), Sträfling [masculine] (German), prizonier [masculine] (Romanian), deținut [masculine] (Romanian), заключённый (zaključónnyj) [masculine] (Russian), у́зник (úznik) [masculine] (Russian), detenido (Spanish), penado (Spanish)
    Sense id: en-yardbird-en-noun-WVOg5mSn Disambiguation of People: 9 46 45 Categories (other): American English, English entries with incorrect language header, Entries with translation boxes, Pages with 1 entry, Pages with entries, Terms with Bulgarian translations, Terms with Finnish translations, Terms with French translations, Terms with German translations, Terms with Romanian translations, Terms with Russian translations, Terms with Spanish translations Disambiguation of English entries with incorrect language header: 17 65 18 Disambiguation of Entries with translation boxes: 7 75 18 Disambiguation of Pages with 1 entry: 9 76 15 Disambiguation of Pages with entries: 7 84 10 Disambiguation of Terms with Bulgarian translations: 16 67 17 Disambiguation of Terms with Finnish translations: 16 68 16 Disambiguation of Terms with French translations: 5 78 17 Disambiguation of Terms with German translations: 9 78 13 Disambiguation of Terms with Romanian translations: 16 68 16 Disambiguation of Terms with Russian translations: 6 82 12 Disambiguation of Terms with Spanish translations: 4 86 11 Disambiguation of 'person who is imprisoned': 0 90 10
  3. (chiefly US, slang) A soldier who is required to perform menial work on the grounds of a military base. Tags: US, slang Categories (topical): People Translations (soldier required to do menial work): troufion (French), homme de corvée (French)
    Sense id: en-yardbird-en-noun--kBXJe4u Disambiguation of People: 9 46 45 Categories (other): American English Disambiguation of 'soldier required to do menial work': 1 19 80
The following are not (yet) sense-disambiguated
Synonyms: yard bird

Inflected forms

Alternative forms

{
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      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "yard",
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      "expansion": "yard + bird",
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    {
      "args": {},
      "expansion": "Douglas Harper (2001–2025) “yardbird”, in Online Etymology Dictionary.",
      "name": "EtymOnLine"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "From yard + bird. Attested since 1956 in the sense of ‘convict,’ derived from the idea of prison yards. During World War II, it meant ‘basic trainee’ among the armed forces.",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "yardbirds",
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        "plural"
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      "args": {},
      "expansion": "yardbird (plural yardbirds)",
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  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "noun",
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          "kind": "other",
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      "glosses": [
        "A chicken."
      ],
      "id": "en-yardbird-en-noun-0o9-0vCp",
      "links": [
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          "chicken"
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      "raw_glosses": [
        "(chiefly US, slang) A chicken."
      ],
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        "slang"
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          "_dis": "5 78 17",
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          "_dis": "9 78 13",
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          "_dis": "16 68 16",
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          "_dis": "6 82 12",
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          "_dis": "4 86 11",
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      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "1985, John P. Conrad, “Charting a Course for Imprisonment Policy,”, in Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, volume 478, page 126:",
          "text": "The working convict is a rare exception, sometimes envied because his time is occupied, sometimes derided for his deviance from the yardbird norm.",
          "type": "quote"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "A person who is imprisoned."
      ],
      "id": "en-yardbird-en-noun-WVOg5mSn",
      "links": [
        [
          "imprison",
          "imprison"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(chiefly US, slang) A person who is imprisoned."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "US",
        "slang"
      ],
      "translations": [
        {
          "_dis1": "0 90 10",
          "code": "bg",
          "lang": "Bulgarian",
          "roman": "nakazan vojnik",
          "sense": "person who is imprisoned",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "наказан войник"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "0 90 10",
          "code": "fi",
          "lang": "Finnish",
          "sense": "person who is imprisoned",
          "word": "häkkilintu"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "0 90 10",
          "code": "fr",
          "lang": "French",
          "sense": "person who is imprisoned",
          "word": "détenu"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "0 90 10",
          "code": "fr",
          "lang": "French",
          "sense": "person who is imprisoned",
          "word": "taulard"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "0 90 10",
          "code": "de",
          "lang": "German",
          "sense": "person who is imprisoned",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "Knacki"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "0 90 10",
          "code": "de",
          "lang": "German",
          "sense": "person who is imprisoned",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "Knastbruder"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "0 90 10",
          "code": "de",
          "lang": "German",
          "sense": "person who is imprisoned",
          "tags": [
            "feminine"
          ],
          "word": "Knastschwester"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "0 90 10",
          "code": "de",
          "lang": "German",
          "sense": "person who is imprisoned",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "Sträfling"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "0 90 10",
          "code": "ro",
          "lang": "Romanian",
          "sense": "person who is imprisoned",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "prizonier"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "0 90 10",
          "code": "ro",
          "lang": "Romanian",
          "sense": "person who is imprisoned",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "deținut"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "0 90 10",
          "code": "ru",
          "lang": "Russian",
          "roman": "zaključónnyj",
          "sense": "person who is imprisoned",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "заключённый"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "0 90 10",
          "code": "ru",
          "lang": "Russian",
          "roman": "úznik",
          "sense": "person who is imprisoned",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "у́зник"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "0 90 10",
          "code": "es",
          "lang": "Spanish",
          "sense": "person who is imprisoned",
          "word": "detenido"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "0 90 10",
          "code": "es",
          "lang": "Spanish",
          "sense": "person who is imprisoned",
          "word": "penado"
        }
      ]
    },
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          "kind": "other",
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          "parents": [],
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            "Fundamental"
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      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "1943 July 5, “In the Rough”, in Time:",
          "text": "As the Marines expanded to war strength, Lou Diamond was the ideal liaison between crusty old-timers and impressionable recruits. He taught quick action by threats of yardbird detail.",
          "type": "quote"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "A soldier who is required to perform menial work on the grounds of a military base."
      ],
      "id": "en-yardbird-en-noun--kBXJe4u",
      "links": [
        [
          "soldier",
          "soldier"
        ],
        [
          "menial",
          "menial"
        ],
        [
          "military",
          "military"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(chiefly US, slang) A soldier who is required to perform menial work on the grounds of a military base."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "US",
        "slang"
      ],
      "translations": [
        {
          "_dis1": "1 19 80",
          "code": "fr",
          "lang": "French",
          "sense": "soldier required to do menial work",
          "word": "troufion"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "1 19 80",
          "code": "fr",
          "lang": "French",
          "sense": "soldier required to do menial work",
          "word": "homme de corvée"
        }
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/ˈjɑːd.bəːd/",
      "tags": [
        "UK"
      ]
    },
    {
      "ipa": "/ˈjɑɹd.bɝd/",
      "tags": [
        "US"
      ]
    },
    {
      "audio": "En-au-yardbird.ogg",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/4/4f/En-au-yardbird.ogg/En-au-yardbird.ogg.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4f/En-au-yardbird.ogg"
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  ],
  "synonyms": [
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0",
      "word": "yard bird"
    }
  ],
  "word": "yardbird"
}
{
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    "English countable nouns",
    "English entries with incorrect language header",
    "English lemmas",
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    "Pages with entries",
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    "Terms with French translations",
    "Terms with German translations",
    "Terms with Romanian translations",
    "Terms with Russian translations",
    "Terms with Spanish translations",
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  "forms": [
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      "expansion": "yardbird (plural yardbirds)",
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  "pos": "noun",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        "American English",
        "English slang"
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "A chicken."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "chicken",
          "chicken"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(chiefly US, slang) A chicken."
      ],
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        "US",
        "slang"
      ]
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        "English slang",
        "English terms with quotations",
        "Quotation templates to be cleaned"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "1985, John P. Conrad, “Charting a Course for Imprisonment Policy,”, in Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, volume 478, page 126:",
          "text": "The working convict is a rare exception, sometimes envied because his time is occupied, sometimes derided for his deviance from the yardbird norm.",
          "type": "quote"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "A person who is imprisoned."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "imprison",
          "imprison"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(chiefly US, slang) A person who is imprisoned."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "US",
        "slang"
      ]
    },
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        "American English",
        "English slang",
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      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "1943 July 5, “In the Rough”, in Time:",
          "text": "As the Marines expanded to war strength, Lou Diamond was the ideal liaison between crusty old-timers and impressionable recruits. He taught quick action by threats of yardbird detail.",
          "type": "quote"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "A soldier who is required to perform menial work on the grounds of a military base."
      ],
      "links": [
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          "soldier"
        ],
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          "menial",
          "menial"
        ],
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          "military",
          "military"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(chiefly US, slang) A soldier who is required to perform menial work on the grounds of a military base."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "US",
        "slang"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/ˈjɑːd.bəːd/",
      "tags": [
        "UK"
      ]
    },
    {
      "ipa": "/ˈjɑɹd.bɝd/",
      "tags": [
        "US"
      ]
    },
    {
      "audio": "En-au-yardbird.ogg",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/4/4f/En-au-yardbird.ogg/En-au-yardbird.ogg.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4f/En-au-yardbird.ogg"
    }
  ],
  "synonyms": [
    {
      "word": "yard bird"
    }
  ],
  "translations": [
    {
      "code": "bg",
      "lang": "Bulgarian",
      "roman": "nakazan vojnik",
      "sense": "person who is imprisoned",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "наказан войник"
    },
    {
      "code": "fi",
      "lang": "Finnish",
      "sense": "person who is imprisoned",
      "word": "häkkilintu"
    },
    {
      "code": "fr",
      "lang": "French",
      "sense": "person who is imprisoned",
      "word": "détenu"
    },
    {
      "code": "fr",
      "lang": "French",
      "sense": "person who is imprisoned",
      "word": "taulard"
    },
    {
      "code": "de",
      "lang": "German",
      "sense": "person who is imprisoned",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "Knacki"
    },
    {
      "code": "de",
      "lang": "German",
      "sense": "person who is imprisoned",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "Knastbruder"
    },
    {
      "code": "de",
      "lang": "German",
      "sense": "person who is imprisoned",
      "tags": [
        "feminine"
      ],
      "word": "Knastschwester"
    },
    {
      "code": "de",
      "lang": "German",
      "sense": "person who is imprisoned",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "Sträfling"
    },
    {
      "code": "ro",
      "lang": "Romanian",
      "sense": "person who is imprisoned",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "prizonier"
    },
    {
      "code": "ro",
      "lang": "Romanian",
      "sense": "person who is imprisoned",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "deținut"
    },
    {
      "code": "ru",
      "lang": "Russian",
      "roman": "zaključónnyj",
      "sense": "person who is imprisoned",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "заключённый"
    },
    {
      "code": "ru",
      "lang": "Russian",
      "roman": "úznik",
      "sense": "person who is imprisoned",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "у́зник"
    },
    {
      "code": "es",
      "lang": "Spanish",
      "sense": "person who is imprisoned",
      "word": "detenido"
    },
    {
      "code": "es",
      "lang": "Spanish",
      "sense": "person who is imprisoned",
      "word": "penado"
    },
    {
      "code": "fr",
      "lang": "French",
      "sense": "soldier required to do menial work",
      "word": "troufion"
    },
    {
      "code": "fr",
      "lang": "French",
      "sense": "soldier required to do menial work",
      "word": "homme de corvée"
    }
  ],
  "word": "yardbird"
}

Download raw JSONL data for yardbird meaning in English (4.8kB)


This page is a part of the kaikki.org machine-readable English dictionary. This dictionary is based on structured data extracted on 2025-01-18 from the enwiktionary dump dated 2025-01-01 using wiktextract (e4a2c88 and 4230888). The data shown on this site has been post-processed and various details (e.g., extra categories) removed, some information disambiguated, and additional data merged from other sources. See the raw data download page for the unprocessed wiktextract data.

If you use this data in academic research, please cite Tatu Ylonen: Wiktextract: Wiktionary as Machine-Readable Structured Data, Proceedings of the 13th Conference on Language Resources and Evaluation (LREC), pp. 1317-1325, Marseille, 20-25 June 2022. Linking to the relevant page(s) under https://kaikki.org would also be greatly appreciated.