egret
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 hrāgra (“heron”). Doublet of aigrette. More at heron.
Pronunciation
Noun
egret (plural egrets)
- 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.
- A plume or tuft of feathers worn as a part of a headdress, or anything imitating such an ornament.
- Synonym: aigrette
- (botany) The flying feathery or hairy crown of seeds or achenes, such as the down of the thistle.
- (obsolete) The crab-eating macaque (Macaca fascicularis)
Translations
Any of various wading birds of the genera Egretta or Ardea
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- English terms inherited from Middle English
- English terms derived from Middle English
- English terms derived from Anglo-Norman
- English terms derived from Old Occitan
- English terms derived from Medieval Latin
- English terms derived from Frankish
- English doublets
- English 2-syllable words
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- Rhymes:English/iɡɹɪt
- Rhymes:English/iɡɹɪt/2 syllables
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- en:Botany
- English terms with obsolete senses
- Min Nan terms with non-redundant manual script codes
- en:Herons
- en:Macaques