ibis

American  

[ahy-bis] / ˈaɪ bɪs /

noun

• ibises,
  plural
• ibis
  plural

1. any of several large wading birds of the family Threskiornithidae, of warm temperate and tropical regions, related to the herons and storks, and characterized by a long, thin, downward-curved bill.

2. any of certain similar birds belonging to the stork family Ciconiidae, especially the wood stork, Mycteria americana.

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ibis British  

/ ˈaɪbɪs /

noun

1. any of various wading birds of the family Threskiornithidae, such as Threskiornis aethiopica ( sacred ibis ), that occur in warm regions and have a long thin down-curved bill: order Ciconiiformes (herons, storks, etc) Compare wood ibis

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• ibis
  plural
• ibises
  plural

Etymology

Origin of ibis

1350–1400; Middle English < Latin ībis < Greek îbis < Egyptian hb

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

ibis ibises

More than a hundred bird species, including ducks, geese, terns, ibis, herons, eagles and vultures, had been recorded in the area, alongside monkeys and small mammals.

From Barron's ● Feb. 19, 2026

Since the beginning of the outbreak, California officials have found the virus in wild birds such as rock pigeons, white-faced ibis, and turkey vultures, as well as wild mammals including mountain lions, raccoons and skunks.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 6, 2025

The bird species included tawny frogmouths, laughing kookaburras, blue-faced honeyeaters, rainbow lorikeets, spotted doves and Brisbane favourite, the Australian white ibis.

From Science Daily ● Dec. 8, 2023

Hence Emily Vincent's surprise when members of the community started sending her pictures and videos of ibis "playing" with the amphibians.

From BBC ● Nov. 24, 2022

As he walked or stretched out in the summer sun, a friendly ibis often pecked about in his fur.

From Voices from the Past by Paul Alexander Bartlett

The honks and squawks of ibises and louries - shuffling silhouettes in the leafless trees.

From BBC ● Aug. 26, 2023

In past years, he said, the ibises would either “just utilize this for a roosting siteand wouldn’t nest because of the lack of water, or they nested but were unsuccessful in fledging out their young.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 1, 2023

Mummified animals, including ibises, cats and baboons, are relatively common finds in Egyptian tombs.

From New York Times ● Jan. 18, 2023

Calabro and I talked a little bit about local wildlife: the striped bass, the oystercatchers, the glossy ibises that nest somewhere near the marsh islands around the North Channel Bridge near JFK Airport.

From Slate ● Sep. 1, 2022

“The ibises live on frogs, the frogs eat bugs, and the bugs eat one another. It teaches you about the meaning of life.”

From "The House of the Scorpion" by Nancy Farmer