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Glite Dictionary
Ibis

Ibis

2 6.3
A wading bird with long legs and a long curved bill often found in wetlands
  • noun
  • /ˈaɪbɪs/
  • Specialized
translation icon : Ibis
  • As we walked through the wetlands, we saw a group of ibises wading in the shallow water.
  • birds, especially Ibis

Examples

  • Well, it turned out that the Egyptians also killed and mummified Ibises and buried them with scribes.

  • Implications for play therapy practice with the Ibis population are provided.

    Academic text (2005)

  • Many wading birds, especially white ibis, plus snowy and great.

    Academic text (2006)

  • May is a good time to see migrating shorebirds on their way farther north; glossy ibis, great egrets, and American bitterns summer here, and a few may stay year-round.

    Academic text (2010)

  • I spotted an ibis hunting for fish along the riverbank.

  • The ibis is known for its striking white feathers and long, curved beak.

Compounds

Bubulcus ibis
  • Specialized
8.3

A small white bird often near cows to eat insects

sacred ibis
  • South African
9.9

A large white wading bird from Africa with a bare black head and neck, often shown in ancient Egyptian art

wood ibis
  • UK
9.9

A wetland bird with long legs and a long curved bill that lives in Africa and Asia

wood ibis
  • US
8.9

A large wading bird with a long bill that curves down and lives in wooded swamps in the Americas

Surface Forms

Ibis singular
Ibises plural

Etymology

Ibis comes from an old Egyptian name 'ibis' for this bird that moved into Greek and Latin and then into English. A helpful way to remember it is to picture Ancient Egyptian art showing a long, curved-billed bird, and that is why Ibis still means the wading bird with long legs and a down-curved bill.