shoe·bill (sh  b l )n. A tall wading bird (Balaeniceps rex) native to swampy regions of eastern tropical Africa, having slaty plumage, long black legs, a stubby neck, and a large shoelike bill with a hook on the upper mandible. |
shoebill [ˈʃuːˌbɪl]
n
(Life Sciences & Allied Applications / Animals) a large wading bird, Balaeniceps rex, of tropical E African swamps, having a dark plumage, a large head, and a large broad bill: family Balaenicipitidae, order Ciconiiformes
[so named because of the shape of its bill]
ThesaurusLegend: Synonyms Related Words Antonyms
| Noun | 1. |  shoebill - large stork-like bird of the valley of the White Nile with a broad bill suggesting a wooden shoewader, wading bird - any of many long-legged birds that wade in water in search of food Balaeniceps, genus Balaeniceps - type genus of the Balaenicipitidae: shoebills |
Want to thank TFD for its existence? Tell a friend about us, add a link to this page, add the site to iGoogle, or visit the webmaster's page for free fun content.
| ?Page tools | ||
|---|---|---|
|