yardbird

A noun referring to a military recruit assigned to menial tasks or a person serving a prison sentence.

• 🇫🇷Nom désignant un soldat recrue affecté à des tâches subalternes ou une personne purgeant une peine de prison.

1. Military recruit C1 informal american

   A new soldier who is given low-level, often unpleasant duties as part of their training or punishment.

   • The sergeant made the yardbird clean the latrines.
   • As a yardbird, he spent most of his time peeling potatoes.
   • The yardbirds were assigned to pick up trash around the base.

   🇫🇷Bleu (militaire)

   Synonymes: bootgreenhornpleberecruitrookietrainee

2. Prison inmate C1 informal american

   A person who is incarcerated and serving a sentence in a jail or prison.

   • The yardbird spent his days in the prison yard.
   • He was just another yardbird doing time for a minor offense.
   • The old yardbird knew all the guards by name.

   🇫🇷Détenu

   Synonymes: conconvictfeloninmatejailbirdprisoner