Main Entry:

sheath·bill

Pronunciation:

\ˈshēth-ˌbil\

Function:

noun

Date:

circa 1781

: either of two white shorebirds (Chionis alba and C. minor of the family Chionididae) of colder parts of the southern hemisphere that have a horny sheath over the base of the upper mandible and suggest the pigeons in general appearance