heron

See also: Heron and héron

English

Etymology

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
  • IPA(key): /ˈhɛɹən/
  • Audio (US)(file)
  • Audio (Southern England)(file)
  • Rhymes: -ɛɹən

Noun

heron (plural herons)

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

Coordinate terms

Derived terms

Translations

Further reading

Anagrams

Middle English

Alternative forms

Etymology

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

Noun

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.

Descendants
  • English: heron, hern
  • Scots: hern

References

Middle French

Alternative forms
  • hairon

Etymology

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

Noun

heron m (plural herons)

  1. heron

Descendants
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