hornbill

English
A 19th-century watercolour of a helmeted hornbill (Rhinoplax vigil). The artist painted the tail excessively long.
The rhinoceros hornbill (Buceros rhinoceros), one of the largest hornbills

Etymology

horn +‎ bill

Pronunciation
  • (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /ˈhɔːn.bɪl/
  • Audio (Southern England)(file)
  • (US) IPA(key): /ˈhɔːɹn.bɪl/

Noun

hornbill (plural hornbills)

  1. Any of various birds of the family Bucerotidae, with bills resembling a cow's horns. Many species have a casque above the bill, and many imprison their young in a tree.
    • 2019, Marlon James, Black Leopard, Red Wolf, Hamish Hamilton, page 408:
      I saw what they were, hornbills, white head with a black streak of feather on top, a long grey tail, and a huge red beak that curved down, bigger than his head.

Derived terms

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See also
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