heron

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See also: Heron and héron

English[edit]

Etymology[edit]

From Middle English heron, heroun, heiron, from Anglo-Norman heiron, from Medieval Latin hairō, from Frankish and Proto-West Germanic *hraigrō, from Proto-Germanic *haigrô (compare Swedish häger), dissimilation of *hraigrô (compare Old English hrāgra, Dutch reiger, German Reiher), from imitative Proto-Indo-European *(s)kreik-, *(s)kreig- (to screech, creak) (compare Welsh crëyr (heron), Ancient Greek κρίζω (krízō, to creak, screech).

Pronunciation[edit]

  • IPA(key): /ˈhɛɹən/
  • (file)
  • (file)
  • Rhymes: -ɛɹən

Noun[edit]

heron (plural herons)

  1. Any long-legged, long-necked wading bird of the family Ardeidae.

Coordinate terms[edit]

Derived terms[edit]

Translations[edit]

Further reading[edit]

Anagrams[edit]

Middle English[edit]

Alternative forms[edit]

Etymology[edit]

From Anglo-Norman heiron, from Medieval Latin hairō, *haigrō, from Frankish/Proto-West Germanic *hraigrō, from Proto-Germanic *haigrô, from earlier *hraigrô via dissimilation.

Pronunciation[edit]

  • IPA(key): /hɛːˈruːn/, /ˈhɛːrun/, /ˈhɛːr(ə)n/, /hɛi̯-/, /hɛ-/

Noun[edit]

heron (plural herons)

  1. the grey heron (Ardea cinerea), or (rarely) a representation of it used in heraldry
  2. the meat of a heron used as food.

Related terms[edit]

Descendants[edit]

  • English: heron, hern
  • Scots: hern

References[edit]

Middle French[edit]

Alternative forms[edit]

Etymology[edit]

From Old French heron, of Germanic origin, probably from Frankish *hraigrō.

Noun[edit]

heron m (plural herons)

  1. heron

Descendants[edit]