egret

Pronunciation key ( ē′grit ) ( ēg′rit )

e•gret [pl. EGRETS (-gritz, retz)].

n.

[ME. egrete Fr. aigrette, a kind of heron, tuft of feathers; Pr. aigreta < aigron OHG. haigiro, heron].

1. Any of the variegated species of heron species with long white plumes.
2. Such a plume: usually aigrette.

Taxonomic Hierarchy
Kingdom	Animalia – Animal, animals
Phylum	Chordata – chordates
Subphylum	Vertebrata – vertebrates
Class	Aves – Birds
Order	Pelecaniformes – Pelicans, Ibises, ibis, Herons, hérons
Family	Ardeidae Leach, 1820 – Bitterns, Egrets, Herons
Direct Children:
Subfamily	Ardeinae Leach, 1820
Subfamily	Botaurinae Reichenbach, 1850
Subfamily	Cochleariinae Chenu & Des Murs, 1854
Subfamily	Tigrisomatinae

References

Webster's New World Dictionary of the American Language (College Edition) ©1955

Ardeidae, Leach, 1820, Taxonomic Serial No.: 174771

Great Egret