Bittern

Pronunciation

• RP IPA: /ˈbɪtÉ™n/
• US IPA: /ˈbɪtÉ™rn/

Old French butor, from Gallo-Romance languages *butitaurus, a blend of Latin būtiō ("bittern") and taurus ("bull, ox").

Full definition of bittern

Noun

1. Several bird species in the heron family Ardeidae.
• 1819, s:Author:Washington Irving, s:The Sketchbook of Geoffrey Crayon, It is a great rock or cliff on the loneliest part of the mountains, and, … is known by the name of the Garden Rock. Near the foot of it is a small lake, the haunt of the solitary bittern, with water-snakes basking in the sun on the leaves of the pond-lilies which lie on the surface.
2. One species tending to have a relatively short neck in comparison with the other members of the family.

Derived terms

From bitter with an unclear suffix, perhaps a dialect form of -ing.

Noun

1. The liquor remaining after halite (common salt) has been harvested from saline water (brine).
2. (archaic) A very bitter compound of quassia, cocculus indicus, etc., used by fraudulent brewers in adulterating beer.

Anagrams

• Britten