bird of passage
Definition
Noun: 1. A migratory bird: A bird that moves from one region or habitat to another, typically on a seasonal schedule, to find food, breed, or access better weather conditions. 2. A person who moves frequently: A person who does not settle permanently in one place, often moving from job to job or from place to place.
Usage Examples
- Noun (literal - bird):
- The Arctic tern is a famous bird of passage, traveling from the Arctic to the Antarctic and back each year.
- Many swallows are birds of passage, arriving in Europe each spring.
- Noun (figurative - person):
- He was a bird of passage in the corporate world, never staying at one company for more than a year.
- As a young artist, she lived like a bird of passage, moving between cities to find inspiration.
Advanced Usage
- The term is often used in a slightly romantic or literary way to describe a person with a restless, nomadic spirit, rather than simply someone who is homeless or displaced.
- It can imply a lack of permanent roots or long-term commitments by choice or circumstance.
Variants and Related Words
- Migratory (adj): Relating to migration.
- Nomad (n): A member of a people with no fixed home who move according to the seasons. Often used for people, not birds.
- Transient (n/adj): Lasting only for a short time; a person who stays only briefly.
Synonyms
- For a bird: Migrant, migratory bird.
- For a person: Wanderer, drifter, rover, itinerant, nomad.
Related Idioms
- To have itchy feet: To have a strong desire to travel or move on.
- After six months in the same town, he started getting itchy feet.
- To roll with the punches: To adapt to difficult circumstances as they arise, similar to the adaptable nature of a wanderer.
- As a freelance consultant, you have to learn to roll with the punches.
Noun
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any bird that migrates seasonally
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someone who leads a wandering unsettled life