crowbill en · NOUN
Pronunciation
- (Southern-England) audio
- /ˈkɹəʊbɪl/ (Received-Pronunciation)
- /ˈkɹoʊˌbɪl/ (General-American)
Etymology
From crow (“bird of the genus Corvus”) + bill (“beak of a bird”). Sense 1 (“kind of forceps”) is probably from its appearance, while sense 2 (“type of poleaxe”) is a calque of French bec de corbin (literally “crow or raven's beak”).
Meanings
- A kind of forceps for extracting bullets, etc., from wounds.
- (historical) Synonym of bec de corbin (“poleaxe with a modified hammerhead and a spike mounted on the top of the pole”).
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| crow-bill | alternative | lexicographic | |
| crowbills | Number=Plur | lexicographic |
Hypernyms
Relateds
Synonyms
Translations (1)
fi kärkipihdit (kind of forceps for extracting bullets, etc., from wounds)