heron

¹ American  

[her-uhn] / ˈhɛr ən /

noun

1. any of numerous long-legged, long-necked, usually long-billed birds of the family Ardeidae, including the true herons, egrets, night herons, and bitterns.

---

Heron ² American  

[heer-on] / ˈhɪər ɒn /

noun

1. Hero.

---

Heron ¹ British  

/ ˈhɪərɒn /

noun

1. same as Hero

2. Patrick. 1920–99, British abstract painter and art critic

---

heron ² British  

/ ˈhɛrən /

noun

1. any of various wading birds of the genera Butorides, Ardea, etc, having a long neck, slim body, and a plumage that is commonly grey or white: family Ardeidae, order Ciconiiformes

---

Etymology

Origin of heron

1275–1325; Middle English heiro ( u ) n, hero ( u ) n < Middle French hairon ( French héron ) < Germanic; compare Old High German heigir

Example Sentences

A great blue heron balanced on a dock and watched me; a cormorant eyed me curiously.

From Los Angeles Times

You’ll see egrets and herons in the tidal wetlands of the Seal Beach National Wildlife Refuge and perhaps even snowy plovers nestling in the dunes or pecking for insects in the wet sand.

From Los Angeles Times

Nearby, a great blue heron stood motionless in shallow water.

From Los Angeles Times

This mosquito tends to live in hardwood bogs and feeds on birds like robins, herons, and wrens, spreading the virus among them.

From Salon

You might also see a green or great blue heron, or a black-crowned night heron.

From Los Angeles Times