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De - Pt| English Dictionary: egrets | by the DICT Development Group |
| 1 result for egrets | |
| From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) [web1913]: | |
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Heron \Her"on\, n. [OE. heiroun, heroun, heron, hern, OF. hairon, F. h[82]ron, OHG. heigir; cf. Icel. hegri, Dan. heire, Sw. h[84]ger, and also G. h[84]her jay, jackdaw, OHG. hehara, higere, woodpecker, magpie, D. reiger heron, G. reiher, AS. hr[amac]gra. Cf. {Aigret}, {Egret}.] (Zo[94]l.) Any wading bird of the genus {Ardea} and allied genera, of the family {Ardeid[91]}. 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. Note: There are several common American species; as, the great blue heron ({Ardea herodias}); the little blue ({A. c[d2]rulea}); the green ({A. virescens}); the snowy ({A. candidissima}); the night heron or qua-bird ({Nycticorax nycticorax}). The plumed herons are called {egrets}. {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. | |
