hornbill

noun

horn·​bill ˈhȯrn-ˌbil 

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

Illustration of hornbill

Examples of hornbill in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

For hornbills, breeding begins when the female enters a hollow in a large tree trunk, and the pair seals the entrance with mud, fruit pulp and droppings with a narrow slit. — Moná Thomas, PEOPLE, 28 July 2026

Sometimes a hornbill climbs into your frying pan and finishes your breakfast without so much as an apology. — Scott Travers, Forbes.com, 4 Apr. 2026

The neighbourhood Given its private island locale, your neighbours—bar other guests—are monitor lizards, hornbills, and swallowtail butterflies. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 31 Mar. 2026

The ornamentation found on the beaks and tops of heads of hornbills are a structure similar to the casque on the cassowary, a bird species found in New Guinea and Australia. — Dinah Voyles Pulver, USA Today, 13 Nov. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1773, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for hornbill

• anthill
• backfill
• bluegill
• crossbill
• distil
• distill
• downhill
• dunghill
• foothill
• fulfil
• fulfill
• goodwill

Kids Definition

hornbill

noun

horn·​bill -ˌbil 

: any of a family of large Old World birds having enormous bills