Definitions for heronˈhɪər ɒn

Random House Webster's College Dictionary

her•onˈhɛr ən(n.)

any of various long-legged, long-necked wading birds of the family Ardeidae, usu. having a spearlike bill.
Category: Ornithology

Origin of heron:

1275–1325; ME hero(u)n < MF hairon < Gmc; cf. OHG heigir

He•ronˈhɪər ɒn(n.)

Category: Biography
Ref: Hero (def. 2). 2 2

Princeton's WordNet

Hero, Heron, Hero of Alexandria(noun)
Greek mathematician and inventor who devised a way to determine the area of a triangle and who described various mechanical devices (first century)
heron(noun)
grey or white wading bird with long neck and long legs and (usually) long bill

Kernerman English Learner's Dictionary

heron(noun)ˈhɪər ɒn
a water bird with long legs and a long neck

Wiktionary

heron(Noun)
A long-legged, long-necked wading bird of the family Ardeidae.

Origin: From heroun, heiron, from heiron, from (compare Middle Dutch heiger), from haigrô (compare häger), metathesis of (compare hragra, Dutch reiger, German Reiher), from (s)kreik- (compare crëyr, Ancient Greek κρίζω.

Webster Dictionary

Heron(noun)
any wading bird of the genus Ardea and allied genera, of the family Ardeidae. The herons have a long, sharp bill, and long legs and toes, with the claw of the middle toe toothed. The common European heron (Ardea cinerea) is remarkable for its directly ascending flight, and was formerly hunted with the larger falcons