General
ghetto bird
What does ghetto bird mean?
A police helicopter, especially one hovering low over a poor or minority neighbourhood with its searchlight on. Derogatory, born from the experience of being on the wrong end of the spotlight.
"Couldn't sleep all night, ghetto bird was circling the block looking for somebody."
Origin
West Coast hip-hop slang, popularised by Ice Cube's 1993 track 'Ghetto Bird' off Lethal Injection. LAPD's heavy air patrols over South Central made the term stick.
Frequently asked questions
What does ghetto bird mean?
Ghetto bird is slang for a police helicopter circling a neighbourhood with its spotlight and rotors going.
How do you use ghetto bird in a sentence?
"Couldn't sleep with the ghetto bird overhead all night."
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