birdlime

B3I1R1D2L1I1M3E1
UK/ˈbɜːdlaɪm/US/ˈbɝdlaɪm/

noun

A sticky substance, of varying compositions, smeared on branches to catch birds.

Similar
birdgluelime
Scrabble 13
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Meanings

nounbirdlime (uncountable)
  1. uncountableA sticky substance, of varying compositions, smeared on branches to catch birds.

    Synonyms: birdglue

  2. slanguncountableTime; a jail term, the serving of a prison sentence.
verbbirdlime (third-person singular simple present birdlimes, present participle birdliming, simple past and past participle birdlimed)

present singular third person birdlimes · participle present birdliming · participle past birdlimed · past birdlimed

  1. transitiveTo add birdlime to.

Synonyms & antonyms

nounA sticky substance, of varying compositions, smeared on branches to catch birds.

Similar
birdglue

More synonyms by meaning

nouna sticky adhesive that is smeared on small branches to capture small birds

Similar
lime
Broader
adhesive materialadhesive agentadhesive

verbspread birdlime on branches to catch birds

Similar
lime
Broader
spreadscatterspread out
Also see
birdgluelime

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

Partial calque of German Vogelleim. By surface analysis, bird + lime.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Ancient Greek ἰξός
  • ἰξός (ixós)sticky substance to catch birds
Chinese Mandarin 粘鳥膠 /粘鸟胶
  • 粘鳥膠 /粘鸟胶 (zhānniǎojiāo)sticky substance to catch birds
Czech lep
  • lepsticky substance to catch birds
Danish fuglelim
  • fuglelimsticky substance to catch birds
Estonian linnuliim
  • linnuliimsticky substance to catch birds
Finnish lintuliima, sivellä lintuliimalla
  • lintuliimasticky substance to catch birds
  • sivellä lintuliimallaadd birdlime
French glu, engluer
  • glusticky substance to catch birds
  • englueradd birdlime
German Vogelleim
  • Vogelleimsticky substance to catch birds
Hungarian madárfogólép, madárenyv
  • madárfogólépsticky substance to catch birds
  • madárenyvsticky substance to catch birds
Indonesian getah pulut, pulut
  • getah pulutsticky substance to catch birds
  • pulutsticky substance to catch birds
Irish glae glas
  • glae glassticky substance to catch birds
Italian pania
  • paniasticky substance to catch birds
Japanese 鳥黐
  • 鳥黐 (torimochi)sticky substance to catch birds
Latin viscum
  • viscumsticky substance to catch birds
Malay pulut
  • pulutsticky substance to catch birds
Polish lep na ptaki, smarować lepem na ptaki
  • lep na ptakisticky substance to catch birds
  • smarować lepem na ptakiadd birdlime
  • posmarować lepem na ptakiadd birdlime
  • łapać ptaki na lepto get caught birds using birdlime
  • złapać ptaki na lepto get caught birds using birdlime
Russian пти́чий кле́й
  • пти́чий кле́й (ptíčij kléj)sticky substance to catch birds
Scottish Gaelic bìth-eòin, bìth
  • bìth-eòinsticky substance to catch birds
  • bìthsticky substance to catch birds
Spanish liga, ajonje
  • ligasticky substance to catch birds
  • ajonjesticky substance to catch birds
Swahili ulimbo
  • ulimbosticky substance to catch birds
Swedish fågellim
  • fågellimsticky substance to catch birds
Turkish ökse, ökselemek
  • öksesticky substance to catch birds
  • ökselemekadd birdlime
  • ökselemekto get caught birds using birdlime
Welsh glud adar, adarlud
  • glud adarsticky substance to catch birds
  • adarludsticky substance to catch birds
  • gludsticky substance to catch birds
Cite this entry
APA

birdlime. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/birdlime

MLA

“birdlime.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/birdlime. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “birdlime,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/birdlime.

Source: birdlime on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.