1 hornbill | Definition of hornbill

hornbill

noun
horn·​bill | \ ˈhȯrn-ËŒbil How to pronounce hornbill (audio) \

Definition of hornbill

: any of a family (Bucerotidae) of large nonpasserine birds of Africa and Eurasia having enormous bills

Illustration of hornbill

Illustration of hornbill

Examples of hornbill in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Karl, an Abyssinian ground hornbill, had a new beak built for him with a 3-D printer, to replace one that was wearing away and wasn’t doing the job. Martin Weil, Washington Post, "Social life working out for bird with artificial beak, zoo says," 29 July 2019 Both Simba and Kimba have, among their small circle of advisors, a wise, sagelike mandrill and a bird — Lion King's Zazu is a hornbill, Kimba's Pauly is a parrot. Pete Keeley, The Hollywood Reporter, "Big Little Lions: Disney's New 'Lion King' Dodges the 'Kimba' Similarity Issue," 22 July 2019 The banter between Zazu and Mufasa gets new color Zazu, the hornbill voiced by John Oliver, has always had the attitude of a didactic political adviser. Raisa Bruner, Time, "Here's How the New Lion King Is Different From the Original," 17 July 2019 Senior Editor Rachael Bale’s story on trafficking of helmeted hornbills appeared in September 2018. Paul Hilton, National Geographic, "Poaching is sending the shy, elusive pangolin to its doom," 17 June 2019 Unfortunately, morning on the river starts before sunrise, when the boatmen fire up the outboards and the hornbills start squawking and the rustle of leaves hints at the primates feeding in the canopy. Paul Brady, Condé Nast Traveler, "Want Serious Bragging Rights? Do a Road Trip Across Borneo," 16 Nov. 2018 There, guests have the opportunity to experience native culture and observe wildlife such as proboscis monkeys and hornbills while spending nights aboard the Rahai’i Pangun Houseboat. Phil Marty, chicagotribune.com, "A wild look at Indonesia, a lauded hotel at a winning price and more," 2 July 2018 This goes on hilariously multiple times, although the hornbill seems nonplussed by the mongoose’s efforts. Cady Lang, Time, "A Dwarf Mongoose Playing Dead Is Hilarious and Impressive at the Same Time," 6 Apr. 2018 Watch the full clip of the mongoose and the hornbill below. Cady Lang, Time, "A Dwarf Mongoose Playing Dead Is Hilarious and Impressive at the Same Time," 6 Apr. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'hornbill.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

See More

First Known Use of hornbill

1773, in the meaning defined above

Keep scrolling for more

More from Merriam-Webster on hornbill

Rhyming Dictionary: Words that rhyme with hornbill

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about hornbill