different between egret vs bittern

English

Etymology

From Middle English, from Anglo-Norman egret, aigrette (“egret”), from Old Occitan aigreta, diminutive of aigron (“heron”), from Medieval Latin hairo, from Frankish *haigro (“heron”). Cognate with Old High German heigaro (“heron”), Old English hr?gra (“heron”). Doublet of aigrette. More at heron.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?i.???t/

Noun

egret (plural egrets)

1. Any of various wading birds of the genera Egretta or Ardea that includes herons, many of which are white or buff, and several of which develop fine plumes during the breeding season.
2. A plume or tuft of feathers worn as a part of a headdress, or anything imitating such an ornament.

   Synonym: aigrette

3. (botany) The flying feathery or hairy crown of seeds or achenes, such as the down of the thistle.
4. (obsolete) The crab-eating macaque (Macaca fascicularis)

Translations

Derived terms

• common egret
• great egret
• large egret

Related terms

• aigrette

See also

• heron

Further reading

• egret on Wikipedia.Wikipedia

Anagrams

• Geter, greet, reget

English

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /?b?t?n/
  • Homophones: bitten, Bitterne
• (US) IPA^(key): /?b?t??n/

Etymology 1

Old French butor, from Gallo-Roman *butitaurus, a blend of Latin b?ti? (“bittern”) and taurus (“bull, ox”).

Noun

bittern (plural bitterns)

1. Several bird species in the Botaurinae subfamily of the heron family Ardeidae.

Derived terms

Translations

See also

• bittern on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
• Appendix: Animals
• Appendix:English collective nouns
• bumble

Etymology 2

From bitter with an unclear suffix, perhaps a dialect form of -ing.

Noun

bittern (uncountable)

1. The liquor remaining after halite (common salt) has been harvested from saline water (brine).
2. The saline substance added to soy milk to coagulate it as a primary step in the production of tofu.
3. (archaic) A very bitter compound of quassia, cocculus indicus, etc., used by fraudulent brewers in adulterating beer.

   (Can we find and add a quotation of Cooley to this entry?)

Translations

Anagrams

• Bittner, Britten