Definitions for spoonbill
ˈspunˌbɪlspoon·bill

Princeton's WordNetRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. spoonbillnoun

   wading birds having a long flat bill with a tip like a spoon

WiktionaryRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. spoonbillnoun

   Any of various large, long-legged wading birds in the family Threskiornithidae, which also includes the ibises, that have a large, flat, spatulate bill.

2. spoonbillnoun

   A species of fish, Polyodon spathula, native to the Mississippi/Missouri river basin.

Samuel Johnson's DictionaryRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. Spoonbillnoun

   A bird.

   Etymology: spoon and bill.

   The shoveller, or spoonbill; the former name the more proper, the end of the bill being broad like a shovel; but not concave like a spoon, but perfectly flat. Nehemiah Grew, Musæum.

   Ducks and geese have such long broad bills to quaffer in water and mud; to which we may reckon the bill of the spoonbill. William Derham, Physico-Theology.

WikipediaRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. Spoonbill

   Spoonbills are a genus, Platalea, of large, long-legged wading birds. The spoonbills have a global distribution, being found on every continent except Antarctica. The genus name Platalea derives from Ancient Greek and means "broad", referring to the distinctive shape of the bill. Six species are recognised, which although usually placed in a single genus have sometimes been split into three genera. All spoonbills have large, flat, spatulate bills and feed by wading through shallow water, sweeping the partly opened bill from side to side. The moment any small aquatic creature touches the inside of the bill—an insect, crustacean, or tiny fish—it is snapped shut. Spoonbills generally prefer fresh water to salt but are found in both environments. They need to feed many hours each day.

Webster DictionaryRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. Spoonbillnoun

   any one of several species of wading birds of the genera Ajaja and Platalea, and allied genera, in which the long bill is broadly expanded and flattened at the tip

2. Spoonbillnoun

   the shoveler. See Shoveler, 2

3. Spoonbillnoun

   the ruddy duck. See under Ruddy

4. Spoonbillnoun

   the paddlefish

WikidataRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. Spoonbill

   Spoonbills are a group of large, long-legged wading birds in the family Threskiornithidae, which also includes the Ibises. All have large, flat, spatulate bills and feed by wading through shallow water, sweeping the partly opened bill from side to side. The moment any small aquatic creature touches the inside of the bill—an insect, crustacean, or tiny fish—it is snapped shut. Spoonbills generally prefer fresh water to salt but are found in both environments. They need to feed many hours each day. Spoonbills are monogamous, but, so far as is known, only for one season at a time. Most species nest in trees or reed-beds, often with ibises or herons. The male gathers nesting material—mostly sticks and reeds, sometimes taken from an old nest—the female weaves it into a large, shallow bowl or platform which varies in its shape and structural integrity according to species. The female lays a clutch of about 3 smooth, oval, white eggs and both parents incubate; chicks hatch one at a time rather than all together. The newly hatched young are blind and cannot care for themselves immediately; both parents feed them by partial regurgitation. Chicks' bills are short and straight, and only gain the characteristic spoonbill shape as they mature. Their feeding continues for a few weeks longer after the family leaves the nest. The primary cause of brood failure appears not to be predation but starvation.

Matched Categories

1. • Wading Bird

How to pronounce spoonbill?

1. Alex

   US English

   David

   US English

   Mark

   US English

   Daniel

   British

   Libby

   British

   Mia

   British

   Karen

   Australian

   Hayley

   Australian

   Natasha

   Australian

   Veena

   Indian

   Priya

   Indian

   Neerja

   Indian

   Zira

   US English

   Oliver

   British

   Wendy

   British

   Fred

   US English

   Tessa

   South African

How to say spoonbill in sign language?

Numerology

1. Chaldean Numerology

   The numerical value of spoonbill in Chaldean Numerology is: 3

2. Pythagorean Numerology

   The numerical value of spoonbill in Pythagorean Numerology is: 6

Popularity rank by frequency of use

References

1. ^ Princeton's WordNet
   http://wordnetweb.princeton.edu/perl/webwn?s=spoonbill
2. ^ Wiktionary
   https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Spoonbill
3. ^ Samuel Johnson's Dictionary
   https://johnsonsdictionaryonline.com/views/search.php?term=spoonbill
4. ^ Wikipedia
   https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spoonbill
5. ^ Webster Dictionary
   https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/spoonbill
6. ^ Wikidata
   https://www.wikidata.org/w/index.php?search=spoonbill