adjutant bird

noun

variants or adjutant stork or less commonly adjutant crane

: any of several large upright storks (genus Leptoptilos) having the head and neck bare of feathers and feeding on carrion or on small aquatic animals or snakes: such as

: an Indian stork (L. dubius) that attains a height of seven feet

: a smaller Indian stork (L. javanicus)

Word History

Etymology

probably so called from its fancied resemblance to a military figure pacing a parade ground

First Known Use

1809, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler

The first known use of adjutant bird was in 1809

See more words from the same year

Cite this Entry

Style

“Adjutant bird.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/adjutant%20bird. Accessed 28 Nov. 2024.

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