yard bird

Học thuật
Thân thiện
Definition

Noun: 1. A person serving a sentence in a jail or prison: A slang term for an inmate or prisoner, derived from the prison yard where inmates have recreation time. 2. A military recruit who is assigned menial tasks: A slang term for a new soldier, especially one being punished with tedious chores or duties.

Usage Examples
  • As a prisoner:
    • The old-timer gave advice to the new yard bird on how to survive inside.
    • He's been a yard bird for five years now.
  • As a military recruit:
    • The sergeant made the yard birds scrub the latrines with toothbrushes.
    • After messing up the drill, he spent the weekend as a yard bird on kitchen duty.
Advanced Usage
  • The term is informal and carries a connotation of low status, either within the prison hierarchy or the military chain of command. It is not a respectful term.
  • It can sometimes be used more broadly to refer to someone who is stuck in a confining or tedious situation, though this is less common.
Variants and Related Words
  • Jailbird (noun): A more common synonym specifically for a prisoner or habitual offender.
  • Con (noun, informal): Short for convict; a person serving a prison sentence.
Synonyms
  • For prisoner: Inmate, convict, prisoner, felon.
  • For military recruit: New recruit, private, grunt (informal).
Notes on Meaning

The meaning is entirely dependent on context. In a discussion about the legal system, "yard bird" means a prisoner. In a military context, it refers to a punished recruit. Without clear context, it is an ambiguous term.

Noun
  1. a person serving a sentence in a jail or prison
  2. a military recruit who is assigned menial tasks

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Từ chứa "yard bird"