ˈpaɪlɪŋ stɪlt long-legged three-toed black-and-white wading bird of inland ponds and marshes or brackish lagoons long-legged three-toed wading bird of brackish marshes of Australia a column of wood or steel or concrete that is driven into the ground to provide support for a structure one of two stout poles with foot rests in the middle; used for walking high above the ground he was so tall I thought he was on stilts