Definition

A type of wading bird found in Europe, known for its greenish legs and long bill.

Example

The greenshank was spotted near the riverbank, searching for food in the shallow water.

Conversation

I saw a really interesting bird at the park yesterday.

Oh really? What kind of bird was it?

It was a greenshank — I've never seen one before!

That's cool! They have such unique colors and long legs.

Synonyms & Antonyms

Root Explanation

Greenshank is formed from "green" (from Old English "grene", meaning of the color green) and "shank" (from Old English "sceanca", meaning the lower part of the leg). The word refers to a type of wading bird known for its greenish legs and long shanks.

Memory Tip

Think of the color 'green' and the 'lower part of the leg' ('shank') to remember that a greenshank is a bird with green legs.

Visually Confused Words