Definitions

Sorry, no definitions found. Check out and contribute to the discussion of this word!

Etymologies

Sorry, no etymologies found.

Support

Help support Wordnik (and make this page ad-free) by adopting the word byrde.

Examples

  • Doone in tyme past/made many a byrde a dawe [abyrde]

    The cõforte of louers The Comfort of Lovers Stephen Hawes

  • QUOTATION: Better one byrde in hand than ten in the wood.

    Quotations 1919

  • Thys byrde morneth sore in fowle weder, & hideth hym from the rayne vnder {the} busshes.

    Early English Meals and Manners Frederick James Furnivall 1867

  • ¶ And what a thynge is it to be diligente in a byrde, and slowe in teachynge thy sonne?

    The Education of Children Desiderius Erasmus 1502

  • Whan a worde is nat sayd, the byrde is in the cage

    The Ship of Fools, Volume 1 Sebastian Brant 1489

  • Then the other byrdes drewe togyder, and demannded eche other what was best to be done with this byrde that they had made vp of nought and now so dysdayneth them.

    Sir John Froissart's chronicles of England, France, Spain, Portugal, Scotland, Brittany, Flanders, and the adjoining countries; Berners, John Bourchier, Lord, 1466 or 7-1533, tr 1812

  • He schall heyr the melodies melodious of the ermony of byrde: he schall se also the yong swannes and signetes folowing ther eyrours, duckes, cootes, herons, and many other fowlys with ther brodys, wyche me semyt better then all the noyse of houndes, and blastes of hornes and other gamys that fawkners or hunters can make, and yf the angler take the fyssche, hardly then ys ther no man meryer then he in his sprites. '

    Introduction to the Compleat Angler Andrew Lang 1878

  • The Crane is a great byrde/and whan they flye, they be a greate many of them to-gyder in ordre, and a-monge the {m} they chose a kynge the whiche they obey/whan the crane sleepth, than standeth he vpon one fote w {i} t {h} his hede vnder his winges/& ther is one {tha} t kepeth the wache w {i} t {h} his hede vpryght to-wardes

    Early English Meals and Manners Frederick James Furnivall 1867

  • Nepa is a byrde w {i} t {h} a longe byll/& he putteth his byll in {th} e erthe for to seke the worms in the grou {n} de/and they put their bylles in {th} e erthe sometyme so depe {tha} t they can nat gete it vp agayne/& tha {n} they scratche theyr billes out agayn w {i} t {h} theyr fete.

    Early English Meals and Manners Frederick James Furnivall 1867

  • And as the dogge is borne to huntyng, the byrde to flyinge, the horse to runnyng, the oxe to plowynge, so man is borne to philosophy and honeste doinges: and as euery liuing thing lerneth very easly that, to the whiche he is borne, so man wyth verye lytle payne perceiueth the lernyng of vertue and honestye, to the whiche nature hath graffed certen vehemente seedes and principles: so that to the readinesse of nature, is ioyned the diligence of the teacher.

    The Education of Children Desiderius Erasmus 1502

Comments

Log in or sign up to get involved in the conversation. It's quick and easy.