shoebill

[ shoo-bil ]

noun

1. a large, African, storklike bird, Balaeniceps rex, having a broad, flattened bill shaped somewhat like a shoe.

shoebill

/ ˈʃuːˌbɪl /

noun

1. 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

Word History and Origins

Origin of shoebill¹

First recorded in 1870–75; shoe + bill ²

Word History and Origins

Origin of shoebill¹

C19: so named because of the shape of its bill

Example Sentences

Hastily I rushed her out into the garden, where the Shoebill regarded her with one eye of prehistoric wisdom.

From Project Gutenberg