Meanings
plural bird colonels
- USslanggovernmentA member of the United States armed forces having the rank of full colonel, as distinct from a lieutenant colonel.
This month at 47, Colonel Polich retires after 20 years of service; as a reservist and an engineer, bird colonel is about the highest peacetime rank he can achieve.
1960 July 4, “Pink Is for Learning”, in TimeSynonyms: chicken colonel, full bird colonel, full eagle colonel, full eagle
Synonyms & antonyms
nounA member of the United States armed forces having the rank of full colonel, as distinct from a lieutenant colonel.
Origin
From the insignia of rank, which bears a depiction of an eagle.
Full word history & related roots →Cite this entry
bird colonel. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/bird%20colonel
“bird colonel.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/bird%20colonel. Accessed November 4, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “bird colonel,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/bird%20colonel.
Source: bird colonel on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.