riflebird

British

/ ˈraɪfəlˌbɜːd /

noun

any of various birds of paradise of the genera Ptiloris and Craspedophora , such as C. magnifica ( magnificent riflebird )

"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 riflebird

from its call, compared to a whistling bullet

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.

He stuffed a suitcase with nearly 300 of the rarest, most dazzling species—the magnificent riflebird, the resplendent quetzal, the superb bird of paradise, among others—and vanished.

From National Geographic • Apr. 23, 2018

In 2008, 10 riflebird breast feathers had sold for $50 on the forum; with more than 500 feathers per breast, a single skin might fetch $2,500.

From National Geographic • Apr. 23, 2018

A relative, Victoria’s riflebird, pulls its wings into a huge crescent.

From The Guardian • Nov. 19, 2015

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