Search the Dictionary

Any wading bird of the genus Ardea and allied genera, of the family Ardeidæ. 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.…

A hawk used in hunting the heron. "Heroner and falcon." Chaucer.

A place where herons breed.

A heronshaw. [Obs.] Chaucer.

A heron. [Written variously hernshaw, harnsey, etc.]

A river in the Nether World or infernal regions; also, the infernal regions themselves. By some of the English poets it was supposed to be a flaming lake or gulf. Shak.

Of or pertaining to Acheron; infernal; hence, dismal, gloomy; moribund.

ed of draught horses originating in Perche, an old district of France; -- called also Percheron-Norman.

The small white European heron. See Egret.

A wading bird of the genus Botaurus, allied to the herons, of various species.

A small European heron (Ardea minuta, and other allied species).

The heron [Obs.] Ainsworth.

Having a bill shaped like the colter of a plow, or like a knife, as the heron, stork, etc.

A tribe of wading birds including the stork, heron, crane, etc.

with a bone in his mouth. Shak. Death's-head moth (Zoöl.), a very large European moth (Acherontia atropos), so called from a figure resembling a human skull on the back of the thorax; -- called also death's-head sphinx.

rinate birds (Desmognathæ), including various wading and swimming birds, as the ducks and herons, and also raptorial and other kinds.

The name of several species of herons which bear plumes on the back. They are generally white. Among the best known species are the American egret (Ardea, or Herodias, egretta); the great egret (A. alba); the little egret (A. garzetta), of Europe; and the American snowy egret (A. candidissima). A bunch of egrets killed…

The common heron; -- so called from its note. [Prov. Eng.]

hs 500 pounds. The shells are sometimes used in churches to contain holy water. -- Giant heron (Zoöl.), a very large African heron (Ardeomega goliath). It is the largest heron known. -- Giant kettle, a pothole of very large dimensions, as found in Norway in connection with glaciers. See Pothole. -- Giant powder. See…

A bird of the Heron family; the umber.