hornbill

[ hawrn-bil ]

/ ˈhɔrnˌbɪl /

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noun

any large bird of the family Bucerotidae, of the Old World tropics, characterized by a very large bill usually surmounted by a horny protuberance.

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Origin of hornbill

First recorded in 1765–75; horn + bill²

Words nearby hornbill

hormones, Hormuz, horn, hornbag, hornbeam, hornbill, hornblende, hornblende schist, hornbook, Hornby, horn chair

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use hornbill in a sentence

Some of them wore on the head the scarlet beak of the hornbill; these had taken heads.
The Head Hunters of Northern Luzon From Ifugao to Kalinga|Cornelis De Witt Willcox
On April 28th he saw a hornbill inspecting the hole, regardless of the noisy protests of the paroquets.
A Bird Calendar for Northern India|Douglas Dewar
They also brought a curious fighting ornament worn on the head, made of upper bills of the hornbill.
Wanderings Among South Sea Savages And in Borneo and the Philippines|H. Wilfrid Walker
I can't think it's on account of their looks; for there's the kiwi, the hornbill, and sakes alive—the puffins!
The Adventures of a Grain of Dust|Hallam Hawksworth

Father Hornbill, of course, gets all the meals for Mother Hornbill, while she's setting.
The Adventures of a Grain of Dust|Hallam Hawksworth

British Dictionary definitions for hornbill

hornbill

/ (ˈhɔːnˌbɪl) /

noun

any bird of the family Bucerotidae of tropical Africa and Asia, having a very large bill with a basal bony protuberance: order Coraciiformes (kingfishers, etc)

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