egret
Americannoun
-
any of several usually white herons that grow long, graceful plumes during the breeding season, as Egretta garzetta little egret, of the Old World.
noun
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of egret
First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English egret(e), from Anglo-French egret (compare Middle French égreste aigrette ), alteration (with -on exchanged for -et -et ) of dialectal Old French aigron, from Germanic; see heron
Explanation
An egret is a white bird with long legs, usually found wading along marshy shorelines. Egrets are expert fishers and sometimes even use sticks and insects to draw fish closer before gobbling them up. Egret comes from the French aigrette, which means "silver heron" and also "brush," which describes the plumes of white feathers that appear on an egret's back during the breeding season. These birds, many of which are bright white, are a type of heron. They hunt for fish in both freshwater and saltwater, wading through the shallows on their long legs.
Vocabulary lists containing egret
Birds, Birds, Birds, List 1
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Chronicles of a Lizard Nobody
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
According to Williams, Y Foryd area and the Afon Seiont estuary were "great places for him", as he feeds in a similar way to a Little egret, searching for and eating small fish.
From BBC ● Jun. 9, 2026
He said a snowy egret swooped down and looked like it was going to dive for my head, then decided not to.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 7, 2025
He liked the painting, a colorful picture of a bird called an egret.
From NewsForKids.net ● Feb. 22, 2024
Although the virus has never been detected in wild Australian waterbirds, the country is home to several egret species and one heron species that can be infected with JEV in the lab.
From Science Magazine ● Nov. 21, 2023
An egret swooped by and darted off again, leaving the echo of its cry.
From "The Boy Who Met a Whale" by Nizrana Farook
In no time, I was in unfamiliar territory: The sun rose over spoonbills and egrets standing in shallow water as a lone kayaker navigated fields of marsh grass.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 7, 2026
Along the River Otter Mr Burgess tells me the beavers have created wetlands that now host species such as great white egrets and kingfishers.
From BBC ● Feb. 28, 2025
A campaign of prolonged and increasing harassment by bald eagles has chased the egrets and herons from the Martin Griffith Preserve.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 5, 2024
She argues her critics inaccurately divide all birds into two groups, thereby mixing theropods' closest cousins with more distant relatives like pelicans, egrets, albatrosses and penguins.
From Salon ● May 4, 2024
In Africa, you’ll see birds like egrets perched on the nose of a rhinoceros.
From "The Omnivore's Dilemma" by Michael Pollan
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
