sheathbill

[ sheeth-bil ]
/ ˈʃiθˌbɪl /

noun

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.

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decorum
the act of or need for making up one's mind.
dignified propriety of behavior, speech, dress, etc.
a company of singers, especially an organized group employed in church service.
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Origin of sheathbill

First recorded in 1775–85; sheath + bill2

Words nearby sheathbill

sheatfish, sheath, sheath knife, sheath of eyeball, sheath of schwann, sheathbill, sheathe, sheathing, sheave, sheaves, sheba
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Example sentences from the Web for sheathbill

British Dictionary definitions for sheathbill

sheathbill
/ (ˈʃiːθˌbɪl) /

noun

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
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