broken bird

English

Noun

broken bird (plural broken birds)

  1. A bird that is unable to fly due to one or both of its wings being broken.
    • 2003, Krista Beth Driver, But I Want a Casserole: Diary of an Eating Disorder, Xulon Press, →ISBN, page 233:
      The lifeguard said he would call animal control and I went back to stand watch over the broken bird.
  2. (aviation) An unflyable aircraft, particularly one that has been grounded or downed.
    • 1999, Peter J. Azzole, Hell to Pay, iUniverse, →ISBN, page 58:
      He threw off his helmet, released himself from the belts, straps, hoses and wires and climbed down from the broken bird.
  3. (figuratively) A troubled or emotionally fragile person, especially one suffering the aftereffects of a personal trauma.
    • 1996, David Curzon, The View from Jacob's Ladder: One Hundred Midrashim, The Jewish Publication Society, →ISBN, page 93:
      He was shunned by the entire community, and died shortly after, a broken bird.
This article is issued from Wiktionary. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.