different between aigrette vs osprey

English

Alternative forms

• aigret

Etymology

Borrowed from French aigrette (“egret”). Doublet of egret.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?e?.???t/

Noun

aigrette (plural aigrettes)

1. A feather or plume, or feather-shaped item, used as an adornment or ornament.
   • 1756, George Colman, The Connoisseur, London: R. Baldwin, Volume 2, p. 706,^[1]

     This bauble, said he, shewing me an elegant sprig of diamonds, is an aigret, sent in last week by a lady of quality, who has ever since kept home with her head muffled up in a double clout for a pretended fit of the tooth-ache.

   • 1819, Lord Byron, Don Juan, III.77:

     His turban, furled in many a graceful fold, / An emerald aigrette, with Haidée's hair in't, / Surmounted as its clasp […]

   • 1843, William H. Prescott, History of the Conquest of Mexico, New York: Harper & Brothers, Volume 1, Book 1, Chapter 2, p. 33,^[2]

     On a stool, in front [of the throne], was placed a human skull, crowned with an immense emerald, of a pyramidal form, and surmounted by an aigrette of brilliant plumes and precious stones.

   • 1888, Isabel Florence Hapgood (translator), Notre-Dame de Paris by Victor Hugo, New York: Thomas Y. Crowell, Volume 1, Book 3, Chapter 2, p. 149,^[3]

     At intervals you behold the passage of sounds of all forms which come from the triple peal of Saint-Germaine des Prés. Then, again, from time to time, this mass of sublime noises opens and gives passage to the beats of the Ave Maria, which bursts forth and sparkles like an aigrette of stars.

   • 1918, Willa Cather, My Ántonia, Boston: Houghton Mifflin, Book 2, Chapter 11, p. 241,^[4]

     She was formal in manner, and made calls in rustling, steel-gray brocades and a tall bonnet with bristling aigrettes.

   • 2006, Thomas Pynchon, Against the Day, Vintage 2007, p. 181:

     Young women attired often in nothing more than ostrich-feather aigrettes dyed in colors of doubtful taste ran nubilely up and down the marble staircases, chased by young men in razor-toed ball shoes of patent-leather.

2. (ornithology) The lesser white heron.

   Synonym: egret

   • 1912, Zane Grey, Ken Ward in the Jungle, New York: Grosset & Dunlap, Chapter 3, p. 31,^[5]

     Birds of many kinds skimmed the weedy flats. George pointed out a flock of aigrets, the beautiful wild fowl with the priceless plumes.

3. The feathery crown of some seeds (such as the dandelion).

Further reading

• aigrette on Wikipedia.Wikipedia

References

• OED 2nd edition 1989

French

Etymology

From Old Occitan aigreta, diminutive of aigron (“heron”).

Noun

aigrette f (plural aigrettes)

1. (ornithology) egret (Any of various wading birds of the genera Egretta or Ardea)
2. (botany) pappus

   Synonym: pappus

3. (of certain birds) crest (plumage)
4. lumex
5. feather (atop a hat)

Descendants

• ? English: aigrette, aigret

Gallery

Further reading

• aigrette on the French Wikipedia.Wikipedia ^fr
• “aigrette” in Trésor de la langue française informatisé (The Digitized Treasury of the French Language).

English

Etymology

From Late Middle English ospray, from Anglo-Norman ospriet, from Medieval Latin avis prede (“bird of prey”), a generic term apparently confused with this specific bird in Old French on its similarity to ossifrage.

Pronunciation

• (US) IPA^(key): /??sp?i/
• (UK) IPA^(key): /??sp?e?/

Noun

osprey (plural ospreys)

1. A bird of prey (Pandion haliaetus) that feeds on fish and has white underparts and long, narrow wings each ending in four finger-like extensions.
   • 1594, George Peele (attributed), The Battle of Alcazar

     I will provide thee of a princely osprey.

   • c. 1612-13, William Shakespeare and John Fletcher, Two Noble Kinsmen

     But (oh Jove!) your actions, / Soon as they move, as ospreys do the fish, / Subdue before they touch. Two Noble Kinsmen

2. aigrette (ornamental feather)

Synonyms

• fish eagle (a misnomer as the osprey is not an eagle, but compare some of the translations below)
• fish hawk (a misnomer as the osprey is not a hawk)
• orfray (obsolete, incorrect)
• ossifrage (from Latin "bone-breaker")
• osspringer (obsolete)

Translations

Anagrams

• Poyers