flightless

About 0.13 uses per million words.

Meaning

1. adjective Unable to fly. Describing kinds of birds that normally cannot fly, such as the penguin, ostrich, and emu.

   The indigenous fauna of Australia and New Zealand featured an especially interesting array of flightless birds.

2. adjective Describing kinds of birds that normally cannot fly, such as the penguin, ostrich, and emu.

   The indigenous fauna of Australia and New Zealand featured an especially interesting array of flightless birds.

3. adjective Describing an individual bird that normally would be able to fly but in this case cannot, such as an injured sparrow.

   The animal shelter has a flightless sparrow named Shiny, who seems to make up for his disability by being an avid runner.

4. adjective Suddenly deprived of a scheduled (airline) flight by its cancellation.

   Oh great, some wind is blowing in Chicago, so now I'm flightless in Seattle, because this airline can't cope!

Similar words

wingless cormorant cormorants impennate pinfeathered ornithopodous apteral plumiped peripterous gymnopaedic

Often followed by

birds bird and species cormorant rail period rails cormorants