roseate spoonbill
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- noun
- /ˈroʊziˌeɪt ˈspuːnbɪl/
- US
:
espátula rosada
- The roseate spoonbill is easily recognizable due to its unique spoon-shaped bill and striking coloration.
- roseate spoonbills and egrets
- roseate spoonbills and wood storks
- ibis and roseate spoonbills
Examples
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The vivid pink feathers of the roseate spoonbill make it easy to identify among other wading birds.
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We spotted a roseate spoonbill standing in the shallow water, searching for food.
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Wildlife photographers travel to Florida to capture images of the rare roseate spoonbill.
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The roseate spoonbill waded through the shallow waters.
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I spotted a roseate spoonbill at the wetlands yesterday.
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Bird watchers flock to see the vibrant pink feathers of the roseate spoonbill in its natural habitat.
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At the wetlands, several roseate spoonbills were spotted hunting for fish alongside other wading birds.
Synonyms
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A large bird that wades in shallow water with a long flat bill like a spoon
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A bird that walks in shallow water to feed on beaches and river mouths
A bird with pink feathers that wades in shallow water and has a bill shaped like a spoon
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning is directly and transparently derivable from combining 'roseate' (pink/rose-coloured) with 'spoonbill' (a wading bird with a spoon-shaped bill); it denotes a spoonbill that is rose-coloured. This follows a basic adjective + noun compositional pattern common across languages, so a learner who knows the constituents would readily infer the MWE's meaning.
Etymology
The name roseate spoonbill comes from two clear images: roseate means 'pink' and the bird's wide, flat bill looks like a 'spoon'. The bird uses that spoon-like bill to sweep food from shallow water, so the name helps you picture a large pink bird with a spoon-shaped bill.