| 释义 |
egret|ˈɛgrɪt, ˈiːgrɪt|
Forms: 5 egrete, -ette, 6–7 eggret, 7 (egript), 8 eggritte, eigrette, 5– egret. See also aigrette.
[var. of aigrette: a. Fr. aigrette, dim. of *aigr-, a. OHG. heigir: see heron.]
1. The Lesser White Heron: cf. aigrette 1. Also attrib., as in egret-heron.
1411Rogers Agric. & Prices III. 129/2 Egrets 4 {at} 1/2. c1535G. Du Wes Introd. Fr. in Palsgr. 911 Theggret, laigret. 1600Hakluyt Voy. III. 520 An egript..is all white as the swanne, with legs like to an hearnshaw. 1766Pennant Zool. (1768) II. 513 Egrets, a species of Heron now scarce known in this island. 1849C. Brontë Shirley III. viii. 178 As quiet poultry might look on an egret. 1859Tennent Ceylon II. ix. iv. 455 Snowy egrets..station themselves lower down to watch the fish.
2. The feathery pappus of the seeds of the dandelion, thistle, and other plants; = aigrette 3.
1794Martyn Rousseau's Bot. vi. 70 Seeds in which the down or egret..is sessile. 1800J. Hurdis Favourite Vill. 110 Egret from the head Of thistle ravished. 1851S. Judd Margaret vi. (1871) 29 The egret of a thistle.
3. attrib., as † egret-monkey [Fr. aigrette; so called by Buffon from the tuft on the top of its head], an assumed species of ape called by Linnæus Simia Aygula; it is now supposed that the female of some species of Macacus was meant.
1802Bingley Anim. Biog. (1813) I. 81 The egret monkey. 1829Tower Menagerie, Contents. |