[Elamur Dictionary](https://md.dictionary.elamur.ai/free/en/) · [this page in HTML](https://dictionary.elamur.ai/free/en/english/shoebill/)

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# shoebill

noun (a shoebill, shoebills)

«shoebill» in the English dictionary: everyday — its meanings, how the lessons use it, and examples, each with its tree on Mova.

## Everyday

A very large grey bird of the swamps of East Africa with a huge bill shaped like a wooden shoe, which it uses to catch fish, lungfish and even baby crocodiles. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/shoebill/#m1)

### In the lessons

In science and nature lessons, it is a strange-looking bird that stands still for a long time and then strikes; it is threatened by loss of wetlands. Phrases: shoebill stork (a common but inexact name).

### Examples

- The shoebill has a bill shaped like a big shoe. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/shoebill/#x1)
- A shoebill can stand still for hours waiting for a fish. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/shoebill/#x2)
- Shoebills live in the swamps of Uganda and South Sudan. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/shoebill/#x3)
- The shoebill clatters its bill to make a noise. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/shoebill/#x4)
- Visitors at the zoo stared at the shoebill's grumpy face. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/shoebill/#x5)
- Shoebills are tall, about as tall as a child. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/shoebill/#x6)

### Note

Countable. Often called a shoebill stork, but it is not a true stork. Related: whalehead, another name for it.

## On Mova

- [Trees and pragmatics of «shoebill» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/shoebill/): every meaning and example parsed by Mova, with its dependency tree and frames.
- [«shoebill» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/shoebill.html) on Mova free.