any of numerous long-legged, long-necked, usually long-billed birds of the family Ardeidae, including the true herons, egrets, night herons, and bitterns.
Origin of heron
1275–1325; Middle English heiro(u)n, hero(u)n<Middle French hairon (French héron) <Germanic; compare Old High German heigir
Later in the spring, she and Elisabeth saw another kind of heron, an American bittern, skulking in some grass by a swamp.
One Year to Live|Olivia Gentile|April 12, 2009|DAILY BEAST
Only from far away came the murmur of the sluggish waters of the Maros, and from its shores the call of a heron to its mate.
A Bride of the Plains|Baroness Emmuska Orczy
"Perhaps they had better go away," murmured Mrs. Heron, gently.
Under False Pretences|Adeline Sergeant
"If only I thought that the recapture of Capet was as vital to you as it is to me," said Heron, still unconvinced.
El Dorado|Baroness Orczy
Nevertheless, Mrs. Heron's selfishness was of a gentle and even loveable type.
Under False Pretences|Adeline Sergeant
The other sort is a species of curlews nearly as big as a heron.
A General History and Collection of Voyages and Travels, Vol. 15 (of 18)|Robert Kerr
British Dictionary definitions for heron (1 of 2)
heron
/ (ˈhɛrən) /
noun
any of various wading birds of the genera Butorides, Ardea, etc, having a long neck, slim body, and a plumage that is commonly grey or white: family Ardeidae, order Ciconiiformes
Word Origin for heron
C14: from Old French hairon, of Germanic origin; compare Old High German heigaro, Old Norse hegri
British Dictionary definitions for heron (2 of 2)
Heron
/ (ˈhɪərɒn) /
noun
same as Hero
Patrick. 1920–99, British abstract painter and art critic