birdcage
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
Noun: A structure made of wires or bars, typically forming a small enclosed space, designed for keeping a bird inside.
Usage
The word "birdcage" is used to refer to the physical object that houses a pet bird. It describes the cage itself, not the act of caging or the bird within it.
Examples
- The old birdcage in the attic was empty and covered in dust.
- She bought a large, ornate birdcage for her new parrot.
- Please remember to clean the birdcage every week.
Advanced Usage
- Metaphorical Use: Sometimes used metaphorically to describe a place or situation that feels confining or restrictive, though this is an extended meaning.
- After working from home for years, the small office felt like a birdcage.
Variants and Related Words
- Cage (noun): A more general term for a structure of bars or wires for confining an animal. A birdcage is a specific type of cage.
- Aviary (noun): A very large enclosure for keeping many birds, often big enough for people to walk inside.
Synonyms
- Aviary (for a large structure)
- Enclosure
- Coop (typically for poultry like chickens)
Idioms and Phrases
- (To be) like a bird in a gilded cage: To live in luxurious but confining circumstances, lacking true freedom. This idiom uses the concept of a birdcage metaphorically.
- Despite her wealth, she felt like a bird in a gilded cage, unable to travel or make her own choices.
Noun
- a cage in which a bird can be kept