xifa

Maltese

Etymology

From Arabic شِيف (šīf, “prickles on the stems and branches of palm-trees”). The biological uses by analogy with the form of the beak and shell respectively.

Pronunciation
  • IPA(key): /ˈʃiː.fa/

Noun

xifa f (plural xifiet)

  1. shoemaker's awl (tool)
  2. pied avocet (a bird, Recurvirostra avosetta)
    Synonym: avosett
  3. tusk shell, especially of the genus Dentalium
    Synonym: xifa tal-baħar

See also
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