birdie

1 of 2

noun

bird·​ie ˈbər-dē How to pronounce birdie (audio)
plural birdies
1
: a little bird
2
: a golf score of one stroke less than par on a hole compare eagle entry 1
3
: shuttlecock
In Asia, badminton is an obsession … . In one preliminary match in Malaysia, 21,000 people came out to watch the speeding birdie.—Jennifer Boeth

birdie

2 of 2

verb

birdied; birdieing

transitive verb

: to score a birdie on

Examples of birdie in a Sentence

Noun I made a birdie on the fifth hole. I made birdie on the fifth hole. Verb She birdied the second hole.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
Ehudin drilled a 5 iron to about 10 feet, but missed his birdie putt. — Edward Lee, Baltimore Sun, 31 Aug. 2026 McIlroy surged into the top-10 on Saturday with a 7-under 63, powered by nine birdies, including three in his final four holes. — Gabby Herzig, New York Times, 30 Aug. 2026
Verb
Woodland birdied three of the first five holes Sunday at Bellerive Country Club and was on target to perhaps claim his second victory of the season. — Gary Bedore, Kansas City Star, 24 Aug. 2026 One birdie over his last three holes would have done it for Spieth. — ABC News, 16 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for birdie

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1768, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1921, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of birdie was in 1768

Rhymes for birdie

See All Rhymes for birdie

Browse Nearby Words

birdhouse
birdie
birdie in the cage
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Birdie.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/birdie. Accessed 2 Sep. 2026.

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Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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