early-bird
UK[ˈɜːli bɜːd]US[ˈɜrli bɜrd]
n
a person who gets up, arrives, or acts before the usual or expected time
n
a person who takes advantage of an offer, such as a discounted price, that is available only for a limited initial period
Morpheme Breakdown
early
bird
early
before the usual time
bird
a creature
Etymology
The compound 'early bird' is a metaphorical phrase originating from the proverb "the early bird catches the worm," first recorded in the 17th century. The proverb uses the literal image of a bird that wakes and forages at dawn to successfully find food, imparting a lesson on the advantages of promptness and diligence. Over time, the phrase was lexicalized as a noun to directly label a person who rises or acts ahead of others. In modern commercial contexts, this metaphorical sense extended further to describe a customer who acts quickly to secure a limited-time offer, maintaining the core logic of gaining an advantage through early action.
Analysis
Structure: early (before the usual time) + bird (a creature)
'Early' is from Old English 'ærlice' (adverb), meaning 'soon, before the usual time'. 'Bird' is from Old English 'bridd', meaning 'young bird, chick', later generalized to any bird.
Examples
The conference offers a special discount for early-birds who register before the end of the month.
As an early-bird, she always gets to the office an hour before anyone else.
The early-bird ticket sale for the concert ended yesterday.