bittern
pronunciation
How to pronounce bittern in British English:
UK [ˈbɪtən]
How to pronounce bittern in American English:
US [ˈbɪtərn]
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- Noun:
- relatively small compact tawny-brown heron with nocturnal habits and a booming cry; found in marshes
Word Origin
- bittern
- bittern: [14] The Latin word for ‘bittern’ (a marsh bird) was būtiō, but by the time it reached Old French it had become butor. The discrepancy has been accounted for by proposing a Vulgar Latin intermediate *būtitaurus, literally ‘bittern-bull’ (Latin taurus is ‘bull’), coined on the basis of the bittern’s loud booming call, supposedly reminiscent of a bull’s. The original English forms, as borrowed from Old French, were botor and bitoure; the final -n first appeared in the 16th century, perhaps on the analogy of heron.
- bittern (n.)
- heron-like bird, 13c., botor, from Old French butor "bittern," perhaps from Gallo-Roman *butitaurus, from Latin butionem "bittern" + taurus "bull" (see steer (n.)); according to Pliny, so called because of its booming voice, but this seems fanciful. Modern form from 1510s.
Example
- 1. The bittern booms and heron wades ;
- 2. Sounds to me like you 've bittern by the bug !
- 3. Fire of business of the product line on element bittern dish .
- 4. Production cost of bittern and salt , the economic profits and social effective of bittern replaced salt were analysed .
- 5. In the light of the general situation and characteristics of the potash resources in china , production methods are offered of the conversion of sulfuric acid or sulfate and potassium chloride into potassium sulfate and the extraction of potassium sulfate from sea water and bittern .