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# heron

noun (a heron, herons)

«heron» in the English dictionary: everyday and in Jewish tradition — its meanings, how the lessons use it, and examples, each with its tree on Mova.

## Everyday

A tall bird with long legs, a long neck and a long sharp beak, which stands still in shallow water to catch fish and frogs. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/H/heron/#m1)

### In the lessons

In science and nature lessons: herons are wading birds; they hunt by waiting very still and then striking fast. Found in rivers, lakes and marshes in many countries; the grey heron and the great blue heron are common. Phrases: «a grey heron», «a great blue heron».

### Examples

- A heron stood very still in the shallow water. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/H/heron/#x1)
- The heron caught a fish with its long beak. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/H/heron/#x2)
- We saw a grey heron by the river. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/H/heron/#x3)
- Herons fly with their necks pulled back in an S shape. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/H/heron/#x4)
- A heron ate all the fish from our garden pond! [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/H/heron/#x5)
- The great blue heron is common in North America. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/H/heron/#x6)
- ‘What do you do yourself?’ asked the heron. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/H/heron/#x7)

### Note

Countable: a heron, herons. Pronounced HER-un. Herons are often confused with storks and cranes, which look similar.

## In Jewish tradition

The heron is one of the birds listed as unclean and not to be eaten.

**Interpretation.** The rabbis took this list as a sign for which birds are forbidden, and listed the forbidden kinds rather than the permitted.

### Examples

- and the stork, and the heron after its kinds, and the hoopoe, and the bat. (Torah LEV.11.19, JPS 1917) [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/H/heron/#x1)

### Note

Countable: a heron, herons. Pronounced HER-un. Herons are often confused with storks and cranes, which look similar.

## On Mova

- [Trees and pragmatics of «heron» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/H/heron/): every meaning and example parsed by Mova, with its dependency tree and frames.
- [«heron» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/heron.html) on Mova free.
- [Trees and pragmatics of «heron» in the Judaism dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/H/heron/): every meaning and example parsed by Mova, with its dependency tree and frames.
- [«heron» in the Judaism dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/judaism/w/heron.html) on Mova free.