A duckbill is something shaped like the flat, wide bill of a duck. The word most commonly refers to the duckbill platypus, one of the world's most unusual mammals. This strange Australian animal has fur like a beaver, webbed feet, and a leathery snout that looks remarkably like a duck's bill. When European scientists first saw a preserved platypus in 1798, some thought it was a hoax: someone had surely stitched a duck's bill onto a beaver's body as a joke!

The platypus uses its sensitive duckbill to hunt for small creatures in murky river bottoms. The bill can detect tiny electrical signals from prey, helping the platypus find food even with its eyes closed underwater.

Duckbill can describe other things with similar flat, broad shapes. Certain dinosaurs are called duckbills because their fossilized skulls show wide, flattened snouts. You might also see duckbill pliers in a toolbox: these have wide, flat jaws perfect for gripping objects, or duckbill valves on inflatable rafts that prevent air from escaping.