sacred ibis

noun

1. an African ibis, Threskiornis aethiopica, having a black, naked head and neck and white and black plumage, venerated by the ancient Egyptians.

Word History and Origins

Origin of sacred ibis¹

First recorded in 1830–40

Example Sentences

Thoth — the god of magic, writing and wisdom, among other things — was generally depicted with the head of an African sacred ibis, a wading bird with a distinctive scythe-like beak.

From New York Times

More than 4 million sacred ibis mummies have been found in the catacombs of Tuna el-Gebel and 1.75 million have been discovered in the ancient burial ground of Saqqara.

From The Guardian

An African sacred ibis has been caught after being seen wandering around a West Lothian car park following its escape from a zoo.

From BBC

Fed by the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, the marshlands of Mesopotamia are spawning grounds for Gulf fisheries and home to bird species such as the sacred ibis.

From Reuters

As a result, many South Africans revile the hadeda as intently as Egyptians worshiped its elegant black-and-white cousin, the sacred ibis.

From Wall Street Journal