broken bird (plural broken birds)
- A bird that is unable to fly due to one or both of its wings being broken.
2003, Krista Beth Driver, But I Want a Casserole: Diary of an Eating Disorder, Xulon Press, →ISBN, page 233:The lifeguard said he would call animal control and I went back to stand watch over the broken bird.
- (aviation) An unflyable aircraft, particularly one that has been grounded or downed.
1999, Peter J. Azzole, Hell to Pay, iUniverse, →ISBN, page 58:He threw off his helmet, released himself from the belts, straps, hoses and wires and climbed down from the broken bird.
- (figuratively) A troubled or emotionally fragile person, especially one suffering the aftereffects of a personal trauma.
1996, David Curzon, The View from Jacob's Ladder: One Hundred Midrashim, The Jewish Publication Society, →ISBN, page 93:He was shunned by the entire community, and died shortly after, a broken bird.
