Meaning & use
great egret
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Meaning
nouncountablebiology
A large white heron with a long neck, long legs, and a yellow bill, found near water.
Grammar: Countable; plural is 'great egrets'.
Patterns
- a great egret
- great egrets in something
We saw a great egret standing motionless in the shallow water.
Great egrets nest in colonies near wetlands.
The great egret is often confused with the snowy egret, which is smaller.
Word forms
| plural | great egrets |
|---|
Common combinations
- a great egret
- A great egret flew low over the lake.
- great egret population
- The great egret population has recovered in recent years.
- spot a great egret
- Birdwatchers hope to spot a great egret at dawn.
Synonyms and how they differ
- great white egret
- A common alternative name, especially in British English; same bird.
- common egret
- An older name for the same species, now less common.
Word family
- egret noun
- A general name for several kinds of white herons.
Commonly confused: great egret or snowy egret?
great egret vs snowy egret
A smaller white heron with a black bill and yellow feet; the great egret is much larger with a yellow bill and black legs.
Practice
Which description best fits a great egret?
Choose one answer.
A great egret is a large white heron with a long neck and a yellow bill. The other options describe different birds.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “great egret”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.