egret

[ ee-grit, eg-rit, ee-gret, ee-gret ]

noun
  1. any of several usually white herons that grow long, graceful plumes during the breeding season, as Egretta garzetta(little egret ), of the Old World.

Origin of egret

1
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

Words Nearby egret

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How to use egret in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for egret

egret

/ (ˈiːɡrɪt) /


noun
  1. any of various wading birds of the genera Egretta, Hydranassa, etc, that are similar to herons but usually have a white plumage and, in the breeding season, long feathery plumes: family Ardeidae, order Ciconiiformes: See also aigrette

Origin of egret

1
C15: from Old French aigrette, from Old Provençal aigreta, from aigron heron, of Germanic origin; compare Old High German heigaro heron

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