ibis

[ ahy-bis ]

/ ˈaɪ bɪs /

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noun, plural i·bis·es, (especially collectively) i·bis.

any of several large wading birds of the family Threskiornithidae, of warm temperate and tropical regions, related to the herons and storks, and characterized by a long, thin, downward-curved bill.Compare sacred ibis.

any of certain similar birds belonging to the stork family Ciconiidae, especially the wood stork, Mycteria americana.

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Origin of ibis

1350–1400; Middle English <Latin ībis<Greek îbis<Egyptian hb

Words nearby ibis

IBF, Ibibio, ibid., ibidem, -ibility, ibis, Ibiza, Ibizan hound, -ible, Iblis, -ibly

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use ibis in a sentence

For the ibis, I used old automobile license plates to sculpt the form.
Finding these artful animals around Capitol Hill is as easy as ABC|Fritz Hahn|July 22, 2021|Washington Post
In addition to two tigers there is the elephant, the dog, the bear, an ibis.
A Fierce Debut|Jennie Yabroff|March 9, 2011|DAILY BEAST
We saw plenty of birds on our way; among them the white ibis, the white heron, the snake-bird, and vulture.
In the Wilds of Florida|W.H.G. Kingston
"Yes; these are mostly pictures of Egypt;" and the ibis led him to a long discourse on the Egyptian campaign.
Napoleon's Young Neighbor|Helen Leah Reed

They also saw two species of ibis wading about in the marsh, and a gigantic water-hen almost as big as a turkey.
Popular Adventure Tales|Mayne Reid
Were any one to kill a stork, he would be pursued like an Egyptian of old for killing an ibis, or for fricaseeing a cat.
The Book of Curiosities|I. Platts
The glossy ibis is often called bronze curlew, but this is a bad misnomer, as they are in no way related to the curlew.
Game Birds and Game Fishes of the Pacific Coast|Harry Thom Payne

British Dictionary definitions for ibis

ibis

/ (ˈaɪbɪs) /

noun plural ibises or ibis

any of various wading birds of the family Threskiornithidae, such as Threskiornis aethiopica (sacred ibis), that occur in warm regions and have a long thin down-curved bill: order Ciconiiformes (herons, storks, etc)Compare wood ibis

Word Origin for ibis

C14: via Latin from Greek, from Egyptian hby

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012