1. Any of several large African storks of the genus Leptoptilos that scavenge for carrion and that have a soft white down on the underside. Also called adjutant, adjutant stork.
2. 1. The down of one of these storks or an imitation of it made from other bird feathers.
   2. A hat or garment trimmed with the down of a stork or an imitation of it.
3. 1. A raw silk that can be dyed without being separated from the gum.
   2. A fabric or an article of apparel made from such silk.

[French marabout, Muslim hermit, marabout. See marabout¹.]

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.