noun
bittern
BIT-ern/ˈbɪtərn/
A secretive marsh bird related to herons.
A bittern stands motionless among the tall marsh reeds.
Etymology
Old French butor named the same bird. Its proposed deeper ancestry includes Latin taurus, “bull,” supposedly referring to its booming voice, but the source questions that explanation.
In context
Meet the Little Bittern, one of the smallest herons in the world.
More examples
- We hear the bittern's low call before seeing it.
- The hidden bittern blends into the dry vegetation.
- Several bitterns nest in the protected wetland.
Forms
bittern · bitterns