shoebill

American

[shoo-bil] / ˈʃuˌbɪl /

noun

a large, African, storklike bird, Balaeniceps rex, having a broad, flattened bill shaped somewhat like a shoe.

shoebill British

/ ˈʃuːˌbɪl /

noun

a large wading bird, Balaeniceps rex, of tropical E African swamps, having a dark plumage, a large head, and a large broad bill: family Balaenicipitidae, order Ciconiiformes

"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 shoebill

First recorded in 1870–75; shoe + bill ²

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.

See Examples For:

shoebill

Fewer than 5,300 mature shoebill storks are estimated to remain in the wild.

From BBC ● Oct. 13, 2026

Despite their name, shoebill storks are actually more closely related to pelicans, herons and ibises.

From BBC ● Oct. 13, 2026

One of his zoo's prized possessions, a 5-ft.-high African shoebill stork, barely acknowledges the presence of a female acquired especially for him.

From Time Magazine Archive

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