egret

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e·gret / ˈēgrit; ˈēˌgret; ˈegrit/ • n. a heron (genera Egretta and Bubulcus) with mainly white plumage, having long plumes in the breeding season.

The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English

egret

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egret White heron of temperate and tropical marshy regions. It is known for its plumes. Egrets are long-legged, long-necked, slender-bodied, wading birds with dagger-like bills. They feed on small animals and nest in colonies. Height: 50–100cm (20–40in). Family Ardeidae; genus Egretta.

World Encyclopedia

egret

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egret white heron. XV. — AN. egrette, (O)F. aigrette — Pr. aigreta, f. stem of aigron, corr. to (O)F. héron HERON; see -ET.

The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology T. F. HOAD

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