Egrets

1 definition found

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Heron \Her"on\, n. [OE. heiroun, heroun, heron, hern, OF.
     hairon, F. h['e]ron, OHG. heigir; cf. Icel. hegri, Dan.
     heire, Sw. h[aum]ger, and also G. h[aum]her jay, jackdaw,
     OHG. hehara, higere, woodpecker, magpie, D. reiger heron, G.
     reiher, AS. hr[=a]gra. Cf. {Aigret}, {Egret}.] (Zool.)
     Any wading bird of the genus {Ardea} and allied genera, of


     the family {Ardeid[ae]}. The herons have a long, sharp bill,
     and long legs and toes, with the claw of the middle toe
     toothed. The common European heron ({Ardea cinerea}) is
     remarkable for its directly ascending flight, and was
     formerly hunted with the larger falcons.
     [1913 Webster]
  
     Note: There are several common American species; as, the
           great blue heron ({Ardea herodias}); the little blue
           ({Ardea c[oe]rulea}); the green ({Ardea virescens});
           the snowy ({Ardea candidissima}); the night heron or
           qua-bird ({Nycticorax nycticorax}). The plumed herons
           are called {egrets}.
           [1913 Webster]
  
     {Heron's bill} (Bot.), a plant of the genus {Erodium}; -- so
        called from the fancied resemblance of the fruit to the
        head and beak of the heron.
        [1913 Webster]