mignattaio
Italian
editEtymology
editFrom mignatta (“leech”) + -aio (suffix denoting an occupation). The zoological sense derived from the archaic belief that the bird fed on leeches.
Pronunciation
editNoun
editmignattaio m (plural mignattai)
- (archaic):
- a person who collects and sells leeches
- a person who applies leeches to the sick
- glossy ibis (Plegadis falcinellus)