Definitions

from The Century Dictionary.

  • Having only the wit of a bird; passing rapidly from one subject to another; flighty.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • adjective Flighty; passing rapidly from one subject to another; not having the faculty of attention.

Etymologies

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Examples

  • John would now be happily married to some bird-witted New York socialite, and I would have fallen in love again.

    The Curse of the Wendigo William James Henry 2010

  • John would now be happily married to some bird-witted New York socialite, and I would have fallen in love again.

    The Curse of the Wendigo William James Henry 2010

  • John would now be happily married to some bird-witted New York socialite, and I would have fallen in love again.

    The Curse of the Wendigo William James Henry 2010

  • But they are distant relations, whereas these Hollands—tradesmen, I daresay, and some bird-witted Armitage girl made a ghastly misalliance.

    The Blackstone Key Rose Melikan 2008

  • But they are distant relations, whereas these Hollands—tradesmen, I daresay, and some bird-witted Armitage girl made a ghastly misalliance.

    The Blackstone Key Rose Melikan 2008

  • But they are distant relations, whereas these Hollands—tradesmen, I daresay, and some bird-witted Armitage girl made a ghastly misalliance.

    The Blackstone Key Rose Melikan 2008

  • A third is the application of learning according unto the propriety of the wits; for there is no defect in the faculties intellectual, but seemeth to have a proper cure contained in some studies: as, for example, if a child be bird-witted, that is, hath not the faculty of attention, the mathematics giveth a remedy thereunto; for in them, if the wit be caught away but a moment, one is new to begin.

    The Advancement of Learning 2003

  • “Only think! we laid the first planks of the deck the day before yesterday,” said Allan, flying off to the new subject in his usual bird-witted way.

    Armadale 2003

  • "If you are half as bird-witted as my cousin, you aren't likely to succeed, though."

    Cruise To A Wedding Neels, Betty 1974

  • Werdet wrote a book abusing Balzac as the cause of his failure; and Balzac, on his side, was certainly unsympathetic about the misfortunes of a man whose interests, after all, were bound up with his own, and whom he politely called "childish, bird-witted, and obstinate as an ass."

    Honore de Balzac, His Life and Writings

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