Definition

1. Adjective:
   • Having a beak or bill of a specified type: Describes an animal, typically a bird, that possesses a beak or bill with particular characteristics, such as shape, size, or thickness. The specific feature is usually indicated by a preceding hyphenated word (e.g., thick-billed, long-billed).

Usage Examples

• Adjective:
  • The thick-billed murre is a seabird found in the Arctic.
  • We spotted a beautiful long-billed curlew on the shore.
  • The red-billed quelea is known for forming large flocks.

Advanced Usage

• Used in compound adjectives: The word "billed" is almost exclusively used in combination with another descriptive word to form a hyphenated compound adjective that modifies a noun, usually a type of bird.
  • The sharp-billed bird expertly extracted insects from the bark.
• Figurative use (rare): In very specific contexts, it can describe something shaped like a bill.
  • The billed cap provided shade from the sun. (Here, "billed" refers to the protruding visor of the cap, which is bill-shaped.)

Variants and Related Words

• Bill (noun): The beak of a bird.
• Bill (verb): To charge someone, or to advertise.
• -billed (suffix): Used to form compound adjectives describing the type of bill, e.g., , , .

Synonyms

• Beaked: Having a beak.
  • Note: "Beaked" is a more general synonym, but "billed" is the standard term used in ornithology and common names for birds.

Antonyms

• Bill-less: Lacking a bill (though this is a very uncommon term).
• Not applicable: As "billed" describes a specific positive attribute, a direct opposite is rarely needed. One would simply state the absence of the feature (e.g., "a bird without a prominent bill").

Related Phrases/Idioms

• None directly: There are no common idioms or phrasal verbs using "billed" in its adjectival form. The verb "to bill" has its own set of phrases (e.g., , ).

Adjective

1. having a beak or bill as specified
   • a thick-billed bird
   • a long-billed cap