stork

American  

[stawrk] / stɔrk /

noun

• storks,
  plural
• stork
  plural

1. any of several wading birds of the family Ciconiidae, having long legs and a long neck and bill.

2. the stork, this bird as the mythical or symbolic deliverer of a new baby.

   My brother and his wife are expecting the stork in July.

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stork British  

/ stɔːk /

noun

1. any large wading bird of the family Ciconiidae, chiefly of warm regions of the Old World, having very long legs and a long stout pointed bill, and typically having a white-and-black plumage: order Ciconiiformes

2. (sometimes capital) a variety of domestic fancy pigeon resembling the fairy swallow

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• storklike
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• stork
  plural
• storks
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of stork

before 900; Middle English; Old English storc; cognate with German Storch, Old Norse storkr; akin to stark

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Explanation

A stork is a large water bird with long legs, a big bill, and a legendary reputation for leaving babies on doorsteps. Real storks don't deliver babies; they mostly stand around in marshes all day. Myths going back to ancient European folklore describe storks delivering infants to their expectant parents. In Europe, it was considered good luck if a stork made a nest on a house, and that became a handy answer to questions about where babies come from: The stork brought it! Sometimes the common birthmarks on the backs of babies' heads are even called "stork bites."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

stork storks

I was actually brought to Jeff Lewis’ doorstep by Fortune Feimster, she was the stork that delivered Zach Noe Towers to Radio Andy.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 18, 2026

Zookeepers in an online group began asking whether any facility was missing a Marabou stork.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 2, 2026

Among those taken in are a blind swan, an eagle with an amputated wing and a stork that suffered a concussion during an air attack.

From Barron's ● May 20, 2026

The work by Rabone, from South Staffordshire, will examine how well the white stork can adapt to different environments and habitats, alongside what the public, farmers and land managers think about the plans.

From BBC ● May 10, 2026

Two of my classmates said the stork did not deliver me and would not come back to pick me up.

From "March Forward, Girl" by Melba Pattillo Beals

Baby storks born at UK's first 'stork village'

From BBC ● Jun. 29, 2026

Walking around, Snopko spoke affectionately about the "love stories" that have formed among the storks.

From Barron's ● May 20, 2026

In December, plans were announced for a breeding colony of white storks to be introduced to Eastbrookend Country Park in Dagenham in London for the first time in 600 years.

From BBC ● May 10, 2026

"We can all see that storks fly in flocks, but this observation alone never told us whether or not storks are choosing the routes they take in order to migrate with others," says Brønnvik.

From Science Daily ● Apr. 17, 2024

I ran to the door just in time to see the storks soaring overhead.

From "Salt to the Sea" by Ruta Sepetys

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