bittern

1 of 2

noun (1)

bit·​tern ˈbi-tərn How to pronounce bittern (audio)
: any of various small or medium-sized, short-necked, usually secretive herons (especially genera Botaurus and Ixobrychus)

bittern

2 of 2

noun (2)

: the bitter water solution of salts that remains after sodium chloride has crystallized out of a brine

Examples of bittern in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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Noun
Without golf balls whizzing overhead, the land has become habitat for migratory shorebirds, among them black-necked stilts, greater yellowlegs and sandpipers, and has even drawn the secretive American bittern. — Cara Buckley, New York Times, 15 Feb. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

Middle English bitoure, from Anglo-French butor, from Vulgar Latin *butitaurus, from Latin buteo hawk + taurus bull

Noun (2)

irregular from bitter entry 1

First Known Use

Noun (1)

circa 1530, in the meaning defined above

Noun (2)

1682, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of bittern was circa 1530

Browse Nearby Words

bitter melon
bittern
bitter nightshade
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Bittern.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bittern. Accessed 21 Apr. 2025.

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Kids Definition

bittern

noun
bit·​tern
ˈbit-ərn
: any of various small or medium-sized short-necked usually secretive herons

More from Merriam-Webster on bittern

Nglish: Translation of bittern for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about bittern

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