birds of a feather Definition

bird
noun

1. Any member of a class of warm-blooded vertebrate animals characterized by the possession of feathers, front limbs modified to form wings, and projecting jaws modified to form a horny beak.
(Brit)
2. slang, often considered offensive
A girl or woman.
(Brit)
3. slang
Prison or a prison sentence. See also do bird below.
Example: just out of bird
(US)
4. slang
An obscene gesture of contempt, dismissal or defiance, etc, using a raised middle finger. See also give someone the bird 2 below.
Form: the bird
5. colloq, old use
A person, especially a strange or unusual one.
Example: He's a funny old bird

Derivative: birder
noun

A birdwatcher.

Derivative: birding
noun

Birdwatching.

Idiom: birds of a feather

(rit)
colloq
People who are like each other, who share the same ideas, habits or lifestyle, etc

Idiom: do bird

(rit)
slang
To serve a prison sentence
Example: They did bird together at the Scrubs

Idiom: get the bird

Said of a performer or entertainer, etc: to be hissed or jeered at, or booed, by an audience.

To be dismissed or sacked.

Idiom: give someone the bird

(hiefly Brit)
To criticize them severely or publicly.

(S)
To make an obscene gesture of dismissal, etc (see noun 4 above) at them.

Idiom: go like a bird

colloq
Said of a machine, especially a car: to run very fast and smoothly.

Idiom: kill two birds with one stone

See under kill.

Idiom: strictly for the birds (for the birds)

(specially US)
colloq
Worthless or unimportant; acceptable only to people who are stupid or weak, etc (in the speaker's eyes).

Etymology: Anglo-Saxon bridd young bird.

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feather
noun

1. Any of the light growths that form the soft covering of a bird.

Thesaurus: plume, quill.
2. Something with a featherlike appearance.
3. Plumage.
4. Condition; spirits.

Example: in fine feather
5. Something of little importance.
6. The feathered end of an arrow.
7. rowing.
The action of feathering an oar.

verb feathered, feathering

1. To provide, cover or line with feathers.
2. To turn (one's oar) parallel to the water to lessen air resistance.

Derivative: featheriness
noun

Derivative: feathering
noun

Derivative: feathery
adj

Resembling a feather in appearance or form
Thesaurus: plumed, fluffy, downy, light, wispy, feather like.

Idiom: a feather in one's cap

Something one can be proud of.

Idiom: feather one's own nest

To accumulate money for oneself, especially dishonestly.

Idiom: birds of a feather

See under bird.

Idiom: in full feather (in high feather)

Greatly elated or in high spirits.

Idiom: make the feathers fly

colloq
To cause a commotion.

Idiom: ruffle someone's feathers

To upset or offend someone.

Idiom: show the white feather

To show signs of cowardice, a white feather in a gamecock's tail being considered as a sign of inferior breeding.

Idiom: You could have knocked me down with a feather

I was astonished.

Etymology: Anglo-Saxon.