noun
stilt
A wading bird with very long, thin legs.
A stilt steps through shallow water on its long, slender legs.
Etymology
The bird’s very long slender legs are compared to stilts. The supporting poles supply a direct visual name for the wading bird.
More examples
- Two stilts search the mud for insects.
- We watch a stilt wading along the edge of the pond.
- The stilt lowers its thin bill into the water.
Forms
stilt · stilts
Similar words
- wader
- A broader term for birds that feed in shallow water.