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Synonyms

yardbird

American  
[yahrd-burd] / ˈyɑrdˌbɜrd /

noun

Slang.

  1. a convict or prisoner.

  2. an army recruit.

  3. a soldier confined to camp and assigned to cleaning the grounds or other menial tasks as punishment for violation of the rules.

yardbird British  
/ ˈjɑːdˌbɜːd /

noun

  1. military an inexperienced, untrained, or clumsy soldier, esp one employed on menial duties

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of yardbird

1940–45, yard 2 + bird, by analogy with jailbird

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.