great egret
noun
: a large white heron (Ardea alba synonym Casmerodius albus) with a yellow bill and black legs and feet that occurs in New and Old World temperate and tropical regions
Examples of great egret in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
In the late 1800s, great egrets were hunted nearly to extinction because their plumes were prized for ladies’ hats.
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Jennie Rothenberg Gritz, Smithsonian Magazine, 5 Sep. 2023
Two surf scoters at the Quabbin Reservoir, a solitary sandpiper at the Dufresne Park in Granby, a great egret at Lake Wallace in Belchertown, seven sandhill cranes in Worthington, and a pectoral sandpiper on Meadow Street in Amherst.
—Isabela Rocha, BostonGlobe.com, 8 Apr. 2023
Martha’s Vineyard: A Townsend’s solitaire in the vicinity of the Manuel F. Correllus State Forest headquarters, a great egret at Eel Pond in Edgartown, an American oystercatcher at Joseph Sylvia State Beach, and three common ravens at the Wasque Point Wildlife Management Area.
—Isabela Rocha, BostonGlobe.com, 4 Mar. 2023
Other sightings around the Cape included a blue-winged teal and 5 Northern pintail in Marstons Mills, a glaucous gull at Corporation Beach in Dennis, a great egret in West Dennis, 2 snowy egrets in Yarmouth, and a short-eared owl in Eastham.
—BostonGlobe.com, 28 Dec. 2022
There was an eastern bluebird bright as the summer sky, a palm warbler with a jaunty chestnut-brown cap, and a snow-white great egret standing 3 feet tall.
—Nara Schoenberg, Chicago Tribune, 7 Sep. 2022
In Pittsfield, observers saw a great egret, a northern shoveler, and an osprey at Lake Pontoosuc.
—BostonGlobe.com, 30 Oct. 2021
Reports featured a great egret in Pittsfield, ospreys in Pittsfield and Richmond, a cackling goose in South Egremont, and a late indigo bunting in Williamstown.
—BostonGlobe.com, 23 Oct. 2021
Suddenly, a great egret landed on the grass about 10 yards from me and slowly walked the length of the yard, looking for breakfast.
—Elizabeth Bernstein, WSJ, 20 July 2021
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Jennie Rothenberg Gritz, Smithsonian Magazine, 5 Sep. 2023
Two surf scoters at the Quabbin Reservoir, a solitary sandpiper at the Dufresne Park in Granby, a great egret at Lake Wallace in Belchertown, seven sandhill cranes in Worthington, and a pectoral sandpiper on Meadow Street in Amherst.
—Isabela Rocha, BostonGlobe.com, 8 Apr. 2023
Martha’s Vineyard: A Townsend’s solitaire in the vicinity of the Manuel F. Correllus State Forest headquarters, a great egret at Eel Pond in Edgartown, an American oystercatcher at Joseph Sylvia State Beach, and three common ravens at the Wasque Point Wildlife Management Area.
—Isabela Rocha, BostonGlobe.com, 4 Mar. 2023
Other sightings around the Cape included a blue-winged teal and 5 Northern pintail in Marstons Mills, a glaucous gull at Corporation Beach in Dennis, a great egret in West Dennis, 2 snowy egrets in Yarmouth, and a short-eared owl in Eastham.
—BostonGlobe.com, 28 Dec. 2022
There was an eastern bluebird bright as the summer sky, a palm warbler with a jaunty chestnut-brown cap, and a snow-white great egret standing 3 feet tall.
—Nara Schoenberg, Chicago Tribune, 7 Sep. 2022
In Pittsfield, observers saw a great egret, a northern shoveler, and an osprey at Lake Pontoosuc.
—BostonGlobe.com, 30 Oct. 2021
Reports featured a great egret in Pittsfield, ospreys in Pittsfield and Richmond, a cackling goose in South Egremont, and a late indigo bunting in Williamstown.
—BostonGlobe.com, 23 Oct. 2021
Suddenly, a great egret landed on the grass about 10 yards from me and slowly walked the length of the yard, looking for breakfast.
—Elizabeth Bernstein, WSJ, 20 July 2021
See More
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'great egret.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
First Known Use
1785, in the meaning defined above
Dictionary Entries Near great egret
Cite this Entry
“Great egret.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/great%20egret. Accessed 3 Oct. 2023.
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