gallows bird: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
LowArchaic, literary
Quick answer
What does “gallows bird” mean?
A person who deserves to be hanged.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
A person who deserves to be hanged; a criminal.
Someone viewed as wicked or fit for severe punishment, often used figuratively in historical or literary contexts.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant differences in meaning or usage.
Connotations
Similarly archaic and negative in both varieties.
Frequency
Rare in modern English, equally so in both British and American English.
Grammar
How to Use “gallows bird” in a Sentence
be a gallows birdconsider someone a gallows birdlabel someone a gallows birdVocabulary
Collocations
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Not applicable
Academic
Rare, used in historical or literary studies
Everyday
Rare, archaic
Technical
Not applicable
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “gallows bird”
- Mispronouncing 'gallows' as /ɡəˈloʊz/
- Confusing with 'gallows humor', which refers to grim comedy about death.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No, it is archaic and rarely used in contemporary English except in literary or historical references.
Yes, it can refer to any person, though historically it is often used for men.
It comes from 'gallows', meaning a structure for hanging, and 'bird', slang for a person, implying a person fit for the gallows.
In British English, /ˈɡæləʊz bɜːd/; in American English, /ˈɡæloʊz bɜrd/.
A person who deserves to be hanged.
Gallows bird is usually archaic, literary in register.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “gallows bird”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Imagine a bird perched on the gallows, symbolizing a person who belongs there due to their crimes.
Conceptual Metaphor
A CRIMINAL IS A BIRD DESERVING THE GALLOWS.
Practice
Quiz
What is the meaning of 'gallows bird'?