avian
Americanadjective
adjective
Etymology
Origin of avian
Explanation
Anything avian relates to birds. Avian flu is the bird flu, which birds can pass to humans. Someone who flies a plane is an aviator, and that may help you remember that avian things have to do with birds. Feathers are part of avian anatomy. Laying eggs is the avian method of reproduction. Bird-watchers are avian experts who know how to tell birds apart. Ornithologists are also avian experts: they’re scientists who study birds.
Vocabulary lists containing avian
Words of a Feather: Unflappable Avian Vocabulary
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
More Animal Adjectives
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
This Week in Words: August 25 - 31, 2018
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The department has been investigating the egg market since early in the Trump administration, when prices skyrocketed following an egg shortage that producers attributed to the worst outbreak of avian flu in American history.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 17, 2026
Starting Thursday afternoon and lasting throughout the night, chirps could be heard coming from one of the avian couple’s two eggs, perched high in a Jeffrey pine overlooking Big Bear Lake.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 3, 2026
What has helped is that the threat of highly pathogenic avian influenza, or bird flu, has faded.
From MarketWatch • Apr. 1, 2026
The company said the falling prices reflected improved supply as avian flu subsided and average flock sizes increased.
From Barron's • Apr. 1, 2026
It’s Saturday and the time has come to leave my free lodgings and neurotic avian roommate.
From "Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting By in America" by Barbara Ehrenreich
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
