Definition

Noun: 1. A type of wading bird: An egret is a bird belonging to the heron family (Ardeidae), typically characterized by its long legs, long neck, and often white plumage. Many species grow long, delicate plumes during the breeding season.

Usage and Examples

• General Usage:
  • We saw a beautiful white egret standing motionless in the shallow water, hunting for fish.
  • The snowy egret is distinguished by its black bill and yellow feet.

Advanced Usage and Context

• In Literature and Description: The egret is often used as a symbol of grace, purity, or patience due to its elegant appearance and still hunting posture.
  • The poet described the egret as a "statue of white patience" against the green marsh.

Variants and Related Words

• Great Egret (): A large, widespread species of egret.
• Snowy Egret (): A smaller North American egret with distinctive yellow feet.
• Cattle Egret (): A species often found near grazing cattle, feeding on insects stirred up by the animals.
• Heron: The broader family of birds to which egrets belong. All egrets are herons, but not all herons are called egrets (e.g., the grey heron).

Synonyms

• White heron: A common descriptive synonym, though not all herons are white and not all egrets are exclusively white.
• Wader: A general term for long-legged birds that feed in shallow water.

Idioms and Phrases

(Note: "Egret" itself is not commonly used in English idioms. The bird may appear in descriptive or poetic phrases.) - As still as an egret: A simile describing someone or something standing very quietly and motionlessly. - The child waited as still as an egret for the butterfly to land.

Noun

1. any of various usually white herons having long plumes during breeding season