least bittern

noun

1. bittern12

Word History and Origins

Origin of least bittern¹

An Americanism dating back to 1805–15

Example Sentences

Other high-priority species identified by the report, some of which are already protected by state and federal agencies, include the piping plover, the tricolored heron and the least bittern.

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Yet what she loses on one side she gains on another; she is like that least bittern Mr. Frank M. Chapman tells about.

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The awkward, wary bittern and the still more vigilant least bittern are familiar residents here.

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Within three paddle-lengths of my boat, in a patch of dark that must be a nest, stood my least bittern.

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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.

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