What (who) is Stilt - definition

GENUS OF BIRDS

Himantopus; Himantopodinae

stilt

(stilts)

Stilts are long upright pieces of wood or metal on which some buildings are built, especially where the ground is wet or very soft.

They inhabit reed huts built on stilts above the water.

N-COUNT: usu pl, oft on N

Stilts are two long pieces of wood with pieces for the feet fixed high up on the sides so that people can stand on them and walk high above the ground.

N-COUNT

stilt

¦ noun

1. either of a pair of upright poles with supports for the feet enabling the user to walk raised above the ground.

each of a set of posts or piles supporting a building.

a small support for ceramic ware in a kiln.

2. a long-billed wading bird with black and white plumage and very long slender legs. [Genera Himantopus and Cladorhynchus: several species.]

Origin

ME: of Gmc origin.

stilt

Stilt-bird, long-legged plover (Himantopus melanopterus).

Wikipedia

Stilt

Stilt is a common name for several species of birds in the family Recurvirostridae, which also includes those known as avocets. They are found in brackish or saline wetlands in warm or hot climates.

They have extremely long legs, hence the group name, and long thin bills. Stilts typically feed on aquatic insects and other small creatures and nest on the ground surface in loose colonies.

Most sources recognize 6 species in 2 genera, although the white-backed and Hawaiian stilts are occasionally considered subspecies of the black-necked stilt.

The genus Charadrius was introduced by the French zoologist Mathurin Jacques Brisson in 1760 with the black-winged stilt (Himantopus himantopus) as the type species. The generic name Himantopus comes from the Ancient Greek meaning "strap-leg".

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stilt

Pronunciation examples for Stilt

1. I call it the stilt walker.

Spineless - Portraits of Marine Invertebrates _ Susan Middleton _ Talks at Google

2. High Heels Club, because they were all stilt-walkers.

Amaluna _ Cirque du Soleil _ Talks at Google

3. a horse runs in Asia; and a wolf evolves stilt legs in Brazil.

ted-talks_40_FransLanting_2005-320k

4. Young jugglers, fire breathers and stilt walkers were taking over the cities.

Amaluna _ Cirque du Soleil _ Talks at Google

Examples of use of Stilt

1. The bright red and yellow "Natalie" tent houses acrobats÷ stilt walkers, tumblers, and human–pyramid builders.

2. There, stilt–walkers arrive in garish costumes, having tottered all the way from the centre.

3. "Come on back!" he yelled, backing slowly toward a stilt house.

4. It is also famed for traditional stilt houses lining the Tuo River.

5. By Alan Hamilton Alone and far from home, Sammy the stilt survived for 11 years.