Definition

1. Noun:
   • A stork is a large, long-legged, long-necked wading bird, typically found in the Old World (Europe, Asia, Africa). Many species have distinctive white-and-black plumage. Storks are known for their large nests and are often associated with delivering babies in folklore.

Usage

• The word "stork" is a countable noun. Its plural form is "storks."
• It is used to refer to the bird itself, its species, or its symbolic representation.

Examples

• Noun:
  • We saw a white stork standing on one leg in the marsh.
  • The myth says that a stork brings newborn babies.
  • Several species of stork are endangered due to habitat loss.

Advanced Usage

• "a visit from the stork": a humorous or euphemistic way to refer to the birth of a baby.
  • The neighbors are expecting a visit from the stork next month.
• "stork-billed": having a bill like that of a stork (used in names of other animals, e.g., the stork-billed kingfisher).
  • The stork-billed kingfisher is native to parts of Asia.

Variants and Related Words

• Storklike (adj): resembling a stork, especially in being tall and thin with long legs.
  • He had a storklike appearance as he walked across the room.

Synonyms

• Wader: a general term for long-legged birds that feed in shallow water. (Note: Not all waders are storks, but all storks are waders.)
• Ciconiid: the scientific family name for storks (Ciconiidae).

Related Phrases

• Stork's nest: literally, the nest built by a stork; often large and built on chimneys or poles.
  • There's a massive stork's nest on top of the old church tower.

Related Idioms

• "To have a stork in one's eye": This is a very rare, archaic idiom implying foolishness or being easily deceived, but it is not in common modern usage. The primary cultural idiom is the association with baby delivery.

Noun

1. large mostly Old World wading birds typically having white-and-black plumage