marabou

noun

mar·​a·​bou ˈmer-ə-ˌbü 

ˈma-rə-

variants or less commonly marabout

1

a

: a soft feathery fluffy material prepared from turkey feathers or the coverts of marabous and used especially for trimming women's hats or clothes

b

marabou : a large dark gray African stork (Leptoptilos crumenifer) that has a distensible pouch of pink skin at the front of the neck and feeds especially on carrion

called also marabou stork

2

a

: silk composed of several twisted threads that is dyed before the sericin has been removed

b

: a fabric made of this silk

Illustration of marabou

• marabou 1b

Examples of marabou in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Her blond wig is piled sky-high, and her still-hourglass shape peeks through a marabou and chiffon peignoir. —Tony Bravo, San Francisco Chronicle, 3 Apr. 2026

Monster bamboo, bougainvillea, and banana plants crashed in from the roadside; a tin roof sagged under the weight of a gaggle of marabou storks; baboons plundered trash cans at a highway intersection. —Flora Stubbs, Travel + Leisure, 7 Feb. 2026

At the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures' second annual gala, Olivia Wilde wore a glittering silver gown from Alexandre Vauthier Haute Couture with a pink marabou feather trim and sheer bodice. —Colleen Kratofil, PEOPLE, 24 Jan. 2026

For example, there’s a merino sweater with metallic cuffs, retailing for $950, a stretch sequin pencil skirt for $2,200, a leopard stretch velvet dress for $1,150, a doubleface satin gown with feathers for $2,250 and a wool coat with marabou trim for $3,250, among others. —Lisa Lockwood, Footwear News, 3 Nov. 2025

Word History

Etymology

French marabout, literally, marabout

First Known Use

1819, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Rhymes for marabou

• amadou
• avenue
• ballyhoo
• baraboo
• barbecue
• barbeque
• bugaboo
• cabildo
• caribou
• cockatoo
• detinue
• devalue