The Collaborative International Dictionary
Stilt \Stilt\, n. [OE. stilte; akin to Dan. stylte, Sw. stylta, LG. & D. stelt, OHG. stelza, G. stelze, and perh. to E. stout.]
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A pole, or piece of wood, constructed with a step or loop to raise the foot above the ground in walking. It is sometimes lashed to the leg, and sometimes prolonged upward so as to be steadied by the hand or arm.
Ambition is but avarice on stilts, and masked.
--Landor. A crutch; also, the handle of a plow. [Prov. Eng.]
--Halliwell.-
(Zo["o]l.) Any species of limicoline birds belonging to Himantopus and allied genera, in which the legs are remarkably long and slender. Called also longshanks, stiltbird, stilt plover, and lawyer.
Note: The American species ( Himantopus Mexicanus) is well known. The European and Asiatic stilt ( H. candidus) is usually white, except the wings and interscapulars, which are greenish black. The white-headed stilt ( H. leucocephalus) and the banded stilt ( Cladorhynchus pectoralis) are found in Australia.
Stilt plover (Zo["o]l.), the stilt.
Stilt sandpiper (Zo["o]l.), an American sandpiper ( Micropalama himantopus) having long legs. The bill is somewhat expanded at the tip.
Wiktionary
n. A bird, the stilt.
Wikipedia
Longshanks may refer to:
- King Edward I of England
- Longshanks (band), a Dutch symphonic rock band
- An alias of Aragorn from The Lord of the Rings by J. R. R. Tolkien
The symphonic rock band Longshanks was formed in October 1987 (in Delft, the Netherlands) as a studio project to record one ' Rush'-like song called "Cycles and Circles" (February 1988). The song was released on tape (in a very limited edition) and attracted a very favourable review in a magazine for symphonic rock (Sym-info no.14, Oct. 1988). The name of the band refers indirectly to a nickname of the character Aragorn from The Lord of the Rings by J. R. R. Tolkien and so does not refer to the nickname of the English King Edward I.
Usage examples of "longshanks".
Genka and Slava rowed, Misha sat in the bow and Longshanks in the stern.
They were Nikolai Ribalin, the brother of Longshanks, and Kuzmin, an elderly, sullen-looking, bearded peasant from the village.
But Longshanks, who was sitting in the stern, skilfully steered the boat along the narrow, meandering river.
He had looked frightened when he saw Longshanks in the boat and realized that the lad was trying to get on the trail of the real killer.
Misha and Longshanks pushed off and made for the village of Grachyi Viselki.
They shared their meagre rations with Maria Ivanovna, while Longshanks began to take his meals regularly with the troop.
But everybody was aware that this was more than a secret: if it reached the boatman that Misha, Genka and Longshanks were going to the woods he might follow and kill them.
Misha, Genka and Longshanks crept silently out of their tents and quickly made for the woods.
They knew that so long as Longshanks did not stop there was no danger.
He too was mad at Longshanks, but this was neither the time nor the place to speak about it: they might be heard.
Now that Longshanks was with them both Misha and Genka felt they could not afford to show the least sign of fear.
They reached the cutting and if Longshanks had not been with them, Misha would never have guessed that it was a path, so thickly Was it overgrown with young firs.
Genka and Longshanks shivered so violently that they could hardly keep on their feet.
A new spasm of fear shot through Longshanks and he dropped to the ground, hiding his head between his knees.
Possibly, the holes Longshanks had stumbled across had also been made by them.