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

Here the sacred ibis or the sacred bull symbolises the soul.

From Project Gutenberg

Duck, native companion, white crane, and sacred ibis abound here.

From Project Gutenberg

The native companion, the emu, and the sacred ibis are on this creek.

From Project Gutenberg

There was likewise the sacred ibis of Egypt, and one of the Stymphalides which Hercules shot in his sixth labor.

From Project Gutenberg

To shoot thee there—would be as impious as to have killed a sacred Ibis stalking in the shade of an Egyptian temple.

From Project Gutenberg