xifa

Maltese

Etymology

From Arabic شِيف (šīf, “prickles on the stems and branches of palm-trees”). The biological uses by analogy with the form of the beak and shell respectively.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈʃiː.fa/

Noun

xifa f (plural xifiet)

1. shoemaker's awl (tool)
2. pied avocet (a bird, Recurvirostra avosetta)

   Synonym: avosett

3. tusk shell, especially of the genus Dentalium

   Synonym: xifa tal-baħar

See also

• timplor