heron

[ her-uhn ]

/ ˈhɛr ən /

Save This Word!

noun

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

QUIZ

GOOSES. GEESES. I WANT THIS QUIZ ON PLURAL NOUNS!

Test how much you really know about regular and irregular plural nouns with this quiz.

Question 1 of 9

Which of the following nouns has an irregular plural form?

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of heron

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

Words nearby heron

heroine, heroinism, heroism, heroize, Hérold, heron, heronry, heron's-bill, Herophilus, hero sandwich, Hero's formula

Other definitions for heron (2 of 2)

Heron

[ heer-on ]

/ ˈhɪər ɒn /

noun

Hero (def. 2).

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

How to use heron in a sentence

Birders will love taking a rest day from biking to scout for herons and eagles and photographers won’t run out of waterfalls to shoot.
Northwest Arkansas’s Best Mountain Biking, According to Locals|kklein|October 8, 2021|Outside Online
The hell heron has been specified as Ceratosuchops inferodios, which translates to “horned crocodile-faced hell heron.”
The land-dwelling ‘hell heron’ was a 30-foot aquatic assassin|Elana Spivack|October 1, 2021|Popular-Science
The hell heron is actually one of two new dinosaur species found, both from the family Spinosauridae, making these creatures spinosaurids, or spined dinosaurs.
The land-dwelling ‘hell heron’ was a 30-foot aquatic assassin|Elana Spivack|October 1, 2021|Popular-Science
Furthermore, it has been speculated that the algorithm in this puzzle — also known as Heron’s method — was developed thousands of years ago by Babylonians.
Can You Climb Your Way To Victory?|Zach Wissner-Gross|September 24, 2021|FiveThirtyEight

If you wanted to go swimming in a lake but they’re psyched about watching herons from the shore, pull out your binoculars and join them, at least for a while.
How to Introduce a Friend to the Outdoors|awise|September 15, 2021|Outside Online
It starts with Lindsay Lohan as Cady Heron, the stand-in for all of us.
‘Mean Girls’ Turns 10: Why the Modern Classic Is Still So Fetch|Kevin Fallon|April 30, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The Night Heron was the first adventure Wanderlust opened up to an audience larger than a pre-set guest list.
A Most Illegal Adventure with New York City’s Wildest Underground Event Planners|Nina Strochlic|December 16, 2013|DAILY BEAST
“All those people who went to the Night Heron, now they look up and think about rooftops differently,” says Benedetto.
A Most Illegal Adventure with New York City’s Wildest Underground Event Planners|Nina Strochlic|December 16, 2013|DAILY BEAST
The Night Heron is the event most have heard of, but there are a handful more that have passed under the radar.
A Most Illegal Adventure with New York City’s Wildest Underground Event Planners|Nina Strochlic|December 16, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Be clear, the list of statements and lyrics from West that would probably never be uttered by Scott-Heron goes on for miles.
What Kanye West Could Learn From Tupac Shakur|Allison Samuels|June 26, 2013|DAILY BEAST
The house in Coq-Heron Street, where the travelers had disappeared—was this with the extra building in the rear.
Balsamo, The Magician|Alexander Dumas
She sat unnoticed and effaced; only from time to time the young girl, Winny Heron, sent her a look from soft eyes that adored her.
The Creators|May Sinclair
We saw plenty of birds on our way; among them the white ibis, the white heron, the snake-bird, and vulture.
In the Wilds of Florida|W.H.G. Kingston
About the pools near our camp we saw the little white egret; the snowy heron had been common for some days.
Early Western Travels 1748-1846, Volume XVI|Various
He laughed softly; and just then the blue heron came back to the Perdu.
Earth's Enigmas|Charles G. D. Roberts

British Dictionary definitions for heron (1 of 2)

heron

/ (ˈhɛrən) /

noun

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

Word Origin for heron

C14: from Old French hairon, of Germanic origin; compare Old High German heigaro, Old Norse hegri

British Dictionary definitions for heron (2 of 2)

Heron

/ (ˈhɪərɒn) /

noun

same as Hero

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

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012