The story
Partial calque of German Vogelleim. By surface analysis, bird + lime.
Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.
birdlime
Today it means: A sticky substance, of varying compositions, smeared on branches to catch birds. Full definition →
Today it means: A sticky substance, of varying compositions, smeared on branches to catch birds. Full definition →
Partial calque of German Vogelleim. By surface analysis, bird + lime.
Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.