early bird

noun

1. a person who rises at an early hour.
2. a person who arrives before others, as for the purpose of gaining some advantage:

   The early birds got the best seats for the play.

3. (initial capital letters) Aerospace. the first of the Intelsat series of communications satellites, orbited (1965) by Intelsat.

early bird

¹

noun

1. informal.
   a person who rises early or arrives in good time

Early Bird

²

noun

1. one of a number of communications satellites, the first of which was launched in 1965 into a stationary orbit and provided telephone channels between Europe and the US See also Intelsat

Word History and Origins

Origin of early bird¹

First recorded in 1885–90

Example Sentences

He claimed he had spent a year planning it, and had already sold 100 tickets at an 'early bird' rate of $499.

From BBC

Students gather for mat work at a Pilates studio, and early birds tuck into shellfish at a neighborhood oyster bar.

From Los Angeles Times

There are early birds every year, but this year he said there was an “extraordinarily high number” to come out prematurely.

From Salon

The self-proclaimed “best little record store, coffee, bar and diner in West Seattle” will open at 7 a.m. for RSD, serving free bacon and coffee to the early birds who make it in.

From Seattle Times

Among human beings, it's a familiar phenomenon: early birds rarely turn into night owls, and vice versa.

From Science Daily