least bittern
Americannoun
Etymology
Origin of least bittern
An Americanism dating back to 1805–15
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.
The croak of the great blue heron sounded again; then far away, mysterious and spirit-like, floated a soft qua, qua, qua—the cry of the least bittern out of the heart of the swamp.
From Roof and Meadow by Sharp, Dallas Lore
Yet what she loses on one side she gains on another; she is like that least bittern Mr. Frank M. Chapman tells about.
From Ways of Nature by Burroughs, John
I went to the other islets, searched bog and tangle, and finally pulled away disappointed, giving the least bittern credit for considerable mother-wit and woodcraft.
From Roof and Meadow by Sharp, Dallas Lore
Within three paddle-lengths of my boat, in a patch of dark that must be a nest, stood my least bittern.
From Roof and Meadow by Sharp, Dallas Lore
The awkward, wary bittern and the still more vigilant least bittern are familiar residents here.
From Some Summer Days in Iowa by Lazell, Frederick John
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.
