HERON

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IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does Heron mean? 

• HERON (noun)
  The noun HERON has 2 senses:

1. Greek mathematician and inventor who devised a way to determine the area of a triangle and who described various mechanical devices (first century)

2. grey or white wading bird with long neck and long legs and (usually) long bill

  Familiarity information: HERON used as a noun is rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• HERON (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Greek mathematician and inventor who devised a way to determine the area of a triangle and who described various mechanical devices (first century)

Classified under:

Nouns denoting people

Synonyms:

Hero; Hero of Alexandria; Heron

Instance hypernyms:

artificer; discoverer; inventor (someone who is the first to think of or make something)

mathematician (a person skilled in mathematics)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Grey or white wading bird with long neck and long legs and (usually) long bill

Classified under:

Nouns denoting animals

Hypernyms ("heron" is a kind of...):

wader; wading bird (any of many long-legged birds that wade in water in search of food)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "heron"):

Ardea herodius; great blue heron (large American heron having bluish-grey plumage)

Ardea occidentalis; great white heron (large white heron of Florida and the Florida Keys)

egret (any of various usually white herons having long plumes during breeding season)

Egretta caerulea; little blue heron (small bluish-grey heron of the western hemisphere)

night heron; night raven (nocturnal or crepuscular herons)

boat-billed heron; boatbill; broadbill; Cochlearius cochlearius (tropical American heron related to night herons)

bittern (relatively small compact tawny-brown heron with nocturnal habits and a booming cry; found in marshes)

Holonyms ("heron" is a member of...):

Ardeidae; family Ardeidae (herons; egrets; night herons; bitterns)

 Context examples 

They swoop upon us like two goshawks on a heron.

(The White Company, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

Bird life was abundant, especially the wading birds, stork, heron, and ibis gathering in little groups, blue, scarlet, and white, upon every log which jutted from the bank, while beneath us the crystal water was alive with fish of every shape and color.

(The Lost World, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

As it chanced, however, this morning my little Roland here was loosed at a strong-winged heron, and page Bertrand and I rode on, with no thoughts but for the sport, until we found ourselves in Minstead woods.

(The White Company, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

But we are more like to hawk at the Spanish woodcock than at the French heron, though certes it is rumored that Du Guesclin with all the best lances of France have taken service under the lions and towers of Castile.

(The White Company, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

I shall be shut up with the tire-women else, and have a week of spindle and bodkin, when I would fain be galloping Troubadour up Wilverley Walk, or loosing little Roland at the Vinney Ridge herons.

(The White Company, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

Now and again a peaty amber colored stream rippled across their way, with ferny over-grown banks, where the blue kingfisher flitted busily from side to side, or the gray and pensive heron, swollen with trout and dignity, stood ankle-deep among the sedges.

(The White Company, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)