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Glite Dictionary
Sagittarius serpentarius

Sagittarius serpentarius

9.9
A large African bird with long legs that walks on the ground to hunt snakes and other reptiles
  • noun
  • Specialized
translation icon : Sagittarius serpentarius
  • The Sagittarius serpentarius is renowned for its striking appearance and unique method of hunting snakes.

Examples

  • Scientists observed the hunting behavior of Sagittarius serpentarius in the grasslands of southern Africa.

  • Have you ever seen a Sagittarius serpentarius in the wild?

  • Unlike other birds of prey, Sagittarius serpentarius prefers walking on the ground to soar in the sky.

  • The Sagittarius serpentarius is known for its unique hunting style.

  • In Africa, the Sagittarius serpentarius skillfully uses its long legs to chase down snakes in the tall grass.

  • The Sagittarius serpentarius, also known as the secretary bird, is famous for its ability to hunt and kill snakes.

  • During a safari, we spotted a Sagittarius serpentarius elegantly striding through the savannah, searching for its next meal.

Synonyms

secretary bird
vsSagittarius serpentarius
  • South African
8.4

A large African bird with long legs and feathers on its head that walks to hunt snakes and small animals

is the formal scientific name used in biology and formal contexts

Surface Forms

Sagittarius serpentarius singular
Sagittarius serpentarii plural

Morphology

Sagittarius + serpentarius

This is a Latin scientific binomial functioning as a taxonomic name rather than an ordinary English phrase, so its meaning ('the secretary bird') is not compositionally derivable by a B1 learner from the parts. Even if a learner recognizes a component resembling 'serpent' or the zodiac word 'Sagittarius', those Latin roots and the name-to-species mapping are language-specific and not transparently related to the common English name or behaviour of the bird.

Etymology

Sagittarius serpentarius comes from Latin words: Sagittarius meaning 'archer' and serpentarius meaning 'of snakes'. One popular idea is that the bird's long legs and the way it hunts and kills snakes made people think of an 'archer' fighting snakes, so the name points to the bird that hunts snakes.