spoonbill

American

[spoon-bil] / ˈspunˌbɪl /

noun

any of several wading birds of the family Plataleidae, related to the ibises, having a long, flat bill with a spoonlike tip.
any of various birds having a similar bill, as the shoveler duck.
the paddlefish.

spoonbill British

/ ˈspuːnˌbɪl /

noun

any of several wading birds of warm regions, such as Platalea leucorodia ( common spoonbill ) and Ajaia ajaja ( roseate spoonbill ), having a long horizontally flattened bill: family Threskiornithidae, order Ciconiiformes

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of spoonbill

First recorded in 1670–80; spoon + bill ²

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Birds, from pigeons and crows to the more rare roseate spoonbill, were the inspiration.

From BBC • Jan. 29, 2026

The Franco-Belgian couturier referenced the extravagant plumage of a roseate spoonbill or the crested cockatoo alongside the humble crow, grey pigeon and magpie.

From Barron's • Jan. 27, 2026

His advice for birders hoping to see the roseate spoonbill is to not look for the bird, but to look for the hoards of people carrying cameras and spotting scopes.

From Seattle Times • Aug. 3, 2023

You will see dolphins, terns, maybe even a roseate spoonbill.

From Salon • Feb. 1, 2023

Its nest, its pallet, was of every kind of precious feather— Of lovely cotinga feathers, roseate spoonbill feathers, quetzal feathers.

From "1491" by Charles C. Mann

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023