night heron

[nahyt her-uhn]

noun

1. any of several thick-billed, crepuscular or nocturnal herons of the genus Nycticorax and related genera, as N. nycticorax black-crowned night heron, or squawk, of the Old and New Worlds, and Nyctanassa violacea yellow-crowned night heron, of the Americas.

night heron

noun

1. any nocturnal heron of the genus Nycticorax and related genera, having short legs and neck, a heavy body, and a short heavy bill

Word History and Origins

Origin of night heron¹

First recorded in 1775–85