EGRET

Egret

An egret is any of several herons, most of which are white or buff, and several of which develop fine plumes during the breeding season. Many egrets are members of the genera Egretta or Ardea which also contain other species named as herons rather than egrets. The distinction between a heron and an egret is rather vague, and depends more on appearance than biology. The word "egret" comes from the French word "aigrette" that means both "silver heron" and "brush," referring to the long filamentous feathers that seem to cascade down an egret's back during the breeding season.

The above text is a snippet from Wikipedia: Egret
and as such is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

egret

Noun

  1. Any of various wading birds of the genera Egretta or Ardea that includes herons, many of which are white or buff, and several of which develop fine plumes during the breeding season.
  2. A plume or tuft of feathers worn as a part of a headdress, or anything imitating such an ornament; an aigrette.
  3. The flying feathery or hairy crown of seeds or achenes, such as the down of the thistle.
  4. A kind of ape with a plume on the head.


The above text is a snippet from Wiktionary: egret
and as such is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

Need help with a clue?
Try your search in the crossword dictionary!