Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

bird of passage

/ˌbɝd əv ˈpæsɪd͡ʒ/

Word Rarity Uncommon

Frequency: Zipf frequency 4.11 in modern English

Syllables: bird of pass-age
IPA: /ˌbɝd əv ˈpæsɪd͡ʒ/

22

Scrabble Score

13

Letters

2

Syllables

11

Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

A migratory bird, especially a passage migrant (“a bird that stops somewhere for a short time during a seasonal migration”).

noun

Someone passing through a place and only staying for a short time; an itinerant.

Example Sentences

"There is a wonderful conformity between the vegetation of ſome plants, and the arrival of certain birds of paſſage. [Carl] Linnaeus obſerves that the wood anemone blows in Sweden on the arrival of the ſwallow; and the marſh mary-gold, Caltha, when the cuckoo ſings."
"And now the ladies, with their gay plumage, have flown away like foreign birds of passage, and the jolly old priests of Bacchus, in the parlour, make their libations of claret; […]"
"The muſick and entertainments of Bath are over for this ſeason; and all our gay birds of paſſage have taken their flight to Briſtol-vvell, Tunbridge, Brighthelmſtone, Scarborough, Harrovvgate, &c."
"—one of those adventurers who deem their fortune never lies at home, and encounter great risks for the sake, not so much of their gains, as for themselves,—human birds of passage, who make life one perpetual journey in search of wealth, but who never die rich."

Etymology

Probably a calque of Middle French oiseau de passage: oiseau (“bird”), passage (“part of a journey or route, passage”).

Regional Pronunciation

American English: /ˌbɝd əv ˈpæsɪd͡ʒ/
British English: /ˌbɜːd əv ˈpæsɪd͡ʒ/

Inflected Forms

birds of passage (plural)

Synonyms

migrant bird of passage gadabout itinerant peregrinator rambler rover traveller voyager wanderer wayfarer

Questions

How do you pronounce bird of passage?: The recorded pronunciation is /ˌbɝd əv ˈpæsɪd͡ʒ/.
What does bird of passage mean?: A migratory bird, especially a passage migrant (“a bird that stops somewhere for a short time during a seasonal migration”).
Where does bird of passage come from?: Probably a calque of Middle French oiseau de passage: oiseau (“bird”), passage (“part of a journey or route, passage”).

How to pronounce bird of passage

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