(~s)
Frequency: The word is one of the 1500 most common words in English.
1.
A ~ is a creature with feathers and wings. Female ~s lay eggs. Most ~s can fly.
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2.
Some men refer to young women as ~s. This use could cause offence. (BRIT INFORMAL)
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3.
see also game ~
4.
see also early ~
5.
If you refer to two people as ~s of a feather, you mean that they have the same interests or are very similar.
PHRASE: v-link PHR
6.
A ~ in the hand is something that you already have and do not want to risk losing by trying to get something else.
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7.
If you say that a little ~ told you about something, you mean that someone has told you about it, but you do not want to say who it was.
PHRASE
8.
If you say that doing something will kill two ~s with one stone, you mean that it will enable you to achieve two things that you want to achieve, rather than just one.
PHRASE: V inflects