cattle egret
- noun
- /ˈkætəl ˈɛɡrɪt/
- Specialized
:
garceta bueyera
- We spotted a flock of cattle egrets near the pasture where the sheep were grazing.
Examples
-
At the farm, several cattle egrets followed the cows to feed on the insects they stirred up.
-
In a special area, I had seen about 20 cattle egrets a few days earlier, and Wim had counted 45 birds.
Blog text (22) -
The cattle egret perched on the back of the horse, waiting for insects to appear.
Synonyms
7
6.3
A long-legged white bird with thin feathers that lives near water
A small white bird often near cows to eat insects
A small white bird like a cattle egret often seen near cows
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning 'a kind of egret associated with cattle' is directly and transparently built from 'cattle' (livestock) + 'egret' (a white heron); a learner can infer it denotes an egret that frequents cattle. This is a straightforward compound noun pattern that is common across languages, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents will readily understand the MWE.
Etymology
The compound noun cattle egret comes from the bird's habit of following cattle and other animals that eat grass. The small white egret eats insects the animals scare, so the name explains why the bird is often seen near cows and sheep.