sheathbill

[ sheeth-bil ]

noun
  1. either of two white sea birds, Chionis alba or C. minor, of the colder parts of the Southern Hemisphere: so called from the horny sheath covering the base of the upper bill.

Origin of sheathbill

1
First recorded in 1775–85; sheath + bill2

Words Nearby sheathbill

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How to use sheathbill in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for sheathbill

sheathbill

/ (ˈʃiːθˌbɪl) /


noun
  1. either of two pigeon-like shore birds, Chionis alba or C. minor, of antarctic and subantarctic regions, constituting the family Chionididae: order Charadriiformes. They have a white plumage and a horny sheath at the base of the bill

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