| aigrette | 1. <ornithology> The small white European heron. See Egret. 2. A plume or tuft for the head composed of feathers, or of gems, etc. 3. A tuft like that of the egret. 4. <botany> A feathery crown of seed; egret; as, the aigrette or down of the dandelion or the thistle. Origin: F, a sort of white heron, with a tuft of feathers on its head; a tuft of feathers; dim. Of the same word as heron. See Heron, and cf. Egret, Egrette. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
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