bittern

bit·tern ¹  (btrn)

n.

Any of several wading birds of the genera Botaurus and Ixobrychus, having mottled brownish plumage and a deep booming cry in the male.

---

[Alteration (perhaps influenced by tern¹) of Middle English bitour, from Old French butor, possibly from Vulgar Latin *buti-taurus : Latin bti, buzzard + Latin taurus, bull (after its cry); see tauro- in Indo-European roots.]

---

bittern

Noun

a large wading marsh bird with a booming call [Old French butor]

Thesaurus

Noun

1.

bittern - relatively small compact tawny-brown heron with nocturnal habits and a booming cry; found in marshes heron - grey or white wading bird with long neck and long legs and (usually) long bill American bittern, Botaurus lentiginosus, stake driver - a kind of bittern Botaurus stellaris, European bittern - a kind of bittern Ixobrychus exilis, least bittern - small American bittern