|
Search over 100 encyclopedias and dictionaries: |
Research categories | Follow us on Twitter |
Research categories
View all topics in the newsView all reference sources at Encyclopedia.com |
|||
bittern
bittern common name for migratory marsh birds of the family Ardeidae ( heron family). The American bittern ( Botaurus lentiginosus ), often called "stake driver" because of a territorial male's booming call in the spring, is widely distributed in E North America. It is mostly nocturnal and feeds on frogs, fish, and insects. When pursued, the bittern escapes detection by standing motionless with its bill uplifted, its brown and yellow markings and striped foreneck blending with the marsh grasses. It is about 2 to 3 ft (61-91 cm) tall; the western and eastern least bitterns, genus Ixobrychus, are about half this size. Of the 12 species of bitterns, 8 constitute the smaller birds. The female bittern builds the nest, which consists of an unkempt arrangement of sedge grass and reeds. The nests are built on the ground along rivers or lakeshores and house the clutch of 3 to 6 eggs. Both male and female share the incubation duties. Bitterns are classified in the phylum Chordata , subphylum Vertebrata, class Aves, order Ciconiiformes, family Ardeidae. |
|
|
Cite this article
"bittern." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2008. Encyclopedia.com. 10 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "bittern." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2008. Encyclopedia.com. (February 10, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1E1-bittern.html "bittern." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2008. Retrieved February 10, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1E1-bittern.html |
|
bittern
bit·tern / ˈbitərn/ • n. a large marsh bird (genera Botaurus and Ixobrychus) of the heron family, with brown streaked plumage, including the American bittern (B. lentiginosus). The males of certain species are noted for a deep booming call during the breeding season. bit·tern2 (also bitterns) • n. a concentrated solution of various salts remaining after the crystallization of salt from seawater. |
|
|
Cite this article
"bittern." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Encyclopedia.com. 10 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "bittern." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Encyclopedia.com. (February 10, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O999-bittern.html "bittern." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Retrieved February 10, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O999-bittern.html |
|
bittern
bittern Solitary, heron-like wading bird with a characteristic booming call found in marshes worldwide. A heavy-bodied bird, it is brownish with streaks and spots which help to disguise it. The female lays 3–6 eggs. Length: 25–90cm (10in–3ft). Family Ardeidae, species Botaurus stellaris.
|
|
|
Cite this article
"bittern." World Encyclopedia. 2005. Encyclopedia.com. 10 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "bittern." World Encyclopedia. 2005. Encyclopedia.com. (February 10, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O142-bittern.html "bittern." World Encyclopedia. 2005. Retrieved February 10, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O142-bittern.html |
|
bittern
bittern marsh bird with booming note. XIV. Earliest forms botor, butor, etc. — OF. butor — Rom. *būtitaurus, f. L. būtiō bittern + taurus bull. Forms with final n (XVI) are perh. due to assoc. with hern HERON.
|
|
|
Cite this article
T. F. HOAD. "bittern." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Encyclopedia.com. 10 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. T. F. HOAD. "bittern." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Encyclopedia.com. (February 10, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O27-bittern.html T. F. HOAD. "bittern." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Retrieved February 10, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O27-bittern.html |
|
bittern
bittern Used in AV of Isa. 14: 23 etc. but NRSV and NJB give the more probable ‘hedgehog’ (following the LXX). REB prefers ‘bustard’.
|
|
|
Cite this article
W. R. F. BROWNING. "bittern." A Dictionary of the Bible. 1997. Encyclopedia.com. 10 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. W. R. F. BROWNING. "bittern." A Dictionary of the Bible. 1997. Encyclopedia.com. (February 10, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O94-bittern.html W. R. F. BROWNING. "bittern." A Dictionary of the Bible. 1997. Retrieved February 10, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O94-bittern.html |
|
bittern
bittern See ARDEIDAE.
|
|
|
Cite this article
MICHAEL ALLABY. "bittern." A Dictionary of Zoology. 1999. Encyclopedia.com. 10 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. MICHAEL ALLABY. "bittern." A Dictionary of Zoology. 1999. Encyclopedia.com. (February 10, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O8-bittern.html MICHAEL ALLABY. "bittern." A Dictionary of Zoology. 1999. Retrieved February 10, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O8-bittern.html |
|
bittern
bittern
•baton, batten, fatten, flatten, harmattan, Manhattan, Mountbatten, paten, patten, pattern, platen, Saturn, slattern
•Shackleton • Appleton
•Hampton, Northampton, Rockhampton, Southampton, Wolverhampton
•Canton, lantern, Scranton
•Langton, plankton
•Clapton
•Aston, pastern
•Gladstone
•Caxton, Paxton
•capstan • Ashton • phytoplankton
•Akhenaten, Akhetaten, Aten, Barton, carton, Dumbarton, hearten, Parton, smarten, spartan, tartan
•Grafton
•Carlton, Charlton
•Charleston • kindergarten
•Aldermaston
•Breton, jetton, Sowetan, threaten, Tibetan
•lectern
•Elton, melton, Skelton
•Denton, Fenton, Kenton, Lenten, Trenton
•Repton
•Avestan, Midwestern, northwestern, Preston, southwestern, western
•sexton
•Clayton, Deighton, Leighton, Paton, phaeton, Satan, straighten, straiten
•Paignton • Maidstone
•beaten, Beaton, Beeton, Cretan, Keaton, neaten, Nuneaton, overeaten, sweeten, uneaten, wheaten
•chieftain
•eastern, northeastern, southeastern
•browbeaten • weatherbeaten
•bitten, bittern, Britain, Briton, Britten, handwritten, hardbitten, kitten, Lytton, mitten, smitten, underwritten, witan, written
•Clifton
•Milton, Shilton, Stilton, Wilton
•Middleton • singleton • simpleton
•Clinton, Linton, Minton, Quinton, Winton
•cistern, Liston, piston, Wystan
•brimstone • Winston • Kingston
•Addington • Eddington
•Workington
•Arlington, Darlington
•skeleton
•Ellington, wellington
•exoskeleton
•cosmopolitan, megalopolitan, metropolitan, Neapolitan
•Burlington • Hamilton • badminton
•lamington • Germiston • Penistone
•Bonington • Orpington • Samaritan
•Carrington, Harrington
•sacristan • Festschriften
•Sherrington • typewritten
•Warrington • puritan • Fredericton
•Lexington • Occitan • Washington
•Whittington • Huntington
•Galveston • Livingstone
•Kensington
•Blyton, brighten, Brighton, Crichton, enlighten, frighten, heighten, lighten, righten, tighten, titan, triton, whiten
•begotten, cotton, forgotten, ill-gotten, misbegotten, rotten
•Compton, Crompton
•wanton • Longton
•Boston, postern
•boughten, chorten, foreshorten, Laughton, Morton, Naughton, Orton, quartan, quartern, shorten, tauten, torten, Wharton
•Alton, Dalton, Galton, saltern, Walton
•Taunton • Allston • Launceston
•croton, Dakotan, Minnesotan, oaten, verboten
•Bolton, Doulton, molten
•Folkestone • Royston
•Luton, newton, rambutan, Teuton
•Houston • Fulton
•button, glutton, Hutton, mutton
•sultan
•doubleton, subaltern
•fronton • Augustan • Dunstan
•tungsten • quieten • Pinkerton
•charlatan • Wollaston • Palmerston
•Edmonton • automaton • Sheraton
•Geraldton • Chatterton • Betterton
•Chesterton • Athelstan
•burton, curtain, uncertain
•Hurston
|
|
|
Cite this article
"bittern." Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes. 2007. Encyclopedia.com. 10 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "bittern." Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes. 2007. Encyclopedia.com. (February 10, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O233-bittern.html "bittern." Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes. 2007. Retrieved February 10, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O233-bittern.html |
|