marabou

Stork yielding down

Marabou is a large African stork with a massive bill, bald head, and pendulous throat pouch.

The bird's soft, fluffy undertail feathers—also called marabou—were historically prized for trimming garments, hats, and fans, giving the word a second life in fashion contexts.

Today marabou more often refers to similar decorative feathers or down, regardless of source, used on boas, costumes, and craft projects.

The dress was trimmed with pink marabou.

bird

stork

Large wading ciconiid

scavengerSeeker of refuse
carrionPutrefying animal remains
baldheadScalp without hair

featherless · bill · pouch · wingspan · colony · rookery · nesting · wading · soaring · ungainly

feather

down

Toward lower ground

plumeOrnamental feather or rising column
fluffLight, soft fibers
trimRemove unwanted edges

boa · soft · wispy · delicate · white · fluffy · undertail · coverts · lightweight · airy

craft

trim

Remove unwanted edges

edgingDecorative border material
pompomOrnamental yarn ball
tasselOrnamental hanging cluster

fringe · decoration · sewing · embellishment · ornament · chenille · yarn · fly-tying · lure · dubbing

fashion

trimming

Cutting away excess

boaSqueeze-killer or neckwear
stoleTook without permission
wrapEnclose by winding around

millinery · couture · burlesque · costume · accessory · embellishment · adornment · vintage · glamour · feathered

habitat

savanna

Tropical grassland, sparse trees

wetlandWaterlogged land ecosystem
marshGrassy waterlogged lowland
SerengetiTanzanian ecosystem of grasslands

Kenya · Tanzania · Uganda · Ethiopia · Sudan · Zambia · waterhole · grassland · floodplain · lake

marabou

stork

down

trim

trimming

savanna

marabou

Opposites

Categories

Family