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Webster 1913 Edition


Heron

Her′on

,
Noun.
[OE.
heiroun
,
heroun
,
heron
,
hern
, OF.
hairon
, F.
héron
, OHG.
heigir
; cf. Icel.
hegri
, Dan.
heire
, Sw.
häger
, and also G.
häher
jay, jackdaw, OHG.
hehara
,
higere
, woodpecker, magpie, D.
reiger
heron, G.
reiher
, AS.
hrāgra
. Cf.
Aigret
,
Egret
.]
(Zool.)
Any wading bird of the genus
Ardea
and allied genera, of the family
Ardeidae
. The herons have a long, sharp bill, and long legs and toes, with the claw of the middle toe toothed. The common European heron (
Ardea cinerea
) is remarkable for its directly ascending flight, and was formerly hunted with the larger falcons.
☞ There are several common American species; as, the great blue heron (
Ardea herodias
); the little blue (
Ardea cœrulea
); the green (
Ardea virescens
); the snowy (
Ardea candidissima
); the night heron or qua-bird (
Nycticorax nycticorax
). The plumed herons are called
egrets
.
Heron’s bill
(Bot.)
,
a plant of the genus
Erodium
; – so called from the fancied resemblance of the fruit to the head and beak of the heron.

Webster 1828 Edition


Heron

HER'ON

,
Noun.
A large fowl of the genus Ardea, a great devourer of fish.

Definition 2024


héron

héron

See also: heron and Heron

French

Noun

héron m (plural hérons)

  1. heron

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