ardea candidissima

Snowy \Snow"y\, a.
   1. White like snow. "So shows a snowy dove trooping with
      crows." --Shak.
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   2. Abounding with snow; covered with snow. "The snowy top of
      cold Olympus." --Milton.
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   3. Fig.: Pure; unblemished; unstained; spotless.
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            There did he lose his snowy innocence. --J. Hall
                                                  (1646).
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   {Snowy heron} (Zool.), a white heron, or egret ({Ardea
      candidissima}), found in the Southern United States, and
      southward to Chile; -- called also {plume bird}.

   {Snowy lemming} (Zool.), the collared lemming ({Cuniculus
      torquatus}), which turns white in winter.

   {Snowy owl} (Zool.), a large arctic owl ({Nyctea Scandiaca},
      or {Nyctea nivea}) common all over the northern parts of
      the United States and Europe in winter time. Its plumage
      is sometimes nearly pure white, but it is usually more or
      less marked with blackish spots. Called also {white owl}.
      

   {Snowy plover} (Zool.), a small plover ({Aegialitis nivosa})
      of the western parts of the United States and Mexico. It
      is light gray above, with the under parts and portions of
      the head white.
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Plume \Plume\, n. [F., fr. L. pluma. Cf. {Fly}, v.]
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   1. A feather; esp., a soft, downy feather, or a long,
      conspicuous, or handsome feather.
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            Wings . . . of many a colored plume.  --Milton.
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   2. (Zool.) An ornamental tuft of feathers.
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   3. A feather, or group of feathers, worn as an ornament; a
      waving ornament of hair, or other material resembling
      feathers.
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            His high plume, that nodded o'er his head. --Dryden.
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   4. A token of honor or prowess; that on which one prides
      himself; a prize or reward. "Ambitious to win from me some
      plume." --Milton.
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   5. (Bot.) A large and flexible panicle of inflorescence
      resembling a feather, such as is seen in certain large
      ornamental grasses.
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   {Plume bird} (Zool.), any bird that yields ornamental plumes,
      especially the species of Epimarchus from New Guinea, and
      some of the herons and egrets, as the white heron of
      Florida ({Ardea candidissima}).

   {Plume grass}. (Bot)
      (a) A kind of grass ({Erianthus saccharoides}) with the
          spikelets arranged in great silky plumes, growing in
          swamps in the Southern United States.
      (b) The still finer {Erianthus Ravenn[ae]} from the
          Mediterranean region. The name is sometimes extended
          to the whole genus.

   {Plume moth} (Zool.), any one of numerous small, slender
      moths, belonging to the family {Pterophorid[ae]}. Most of
      them have the wings deeply divided into two or more
      plumelike lobes. Some species are injurious to the
      grapevine.

   {Plume nutmeg} (Bot.), an aromatic Australian tree
      ({Atherosperma moschata}), whose numerous carpels are
      tipped with long plumose persistent styles.
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Heron \Her"on\, n. [OE. heiroun, heroun, heron, hern, OF.
   hairon, F. h['e]ron, OHG. heigir; cf. Icel. hegri, Dan.
   heire, Sw. h[aum]ger, and also G. h[aum]her jay, jackdaw,
   OHG. hehara, higere, woodpecker, magpie, D. reiger heron, G.
   reiher, AS. hr[=a]gra. Cf. {Aigret}, {Egret}.] (Zool.)
   Any wading bird of the genus {Ardea} and allied genera, of
   the family {Ardeid[ae]}. 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.
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   Note: There are several common American species; as, the
         great blue heron ({Ardea herodias}); the little blue
         ({Ardea c[oe]rulea}); the green ({Ardea virescens});
         the snowy ({Ardea candidissima}); the night heron or
         qua-bird ({Nycticorax nycticorax}). The plumed herons
         are called {egrets}.
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   {Heron's bill} (Bot.), a plant of the genus {Erodium}; -- so
      called from the fancied resemblance of the fruit to the
      head and beak of the heron.
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Egret \E"gret\, n. [See {Aigret}, {Heron}.]
   1. (Zo["o]l.) The name of several species of herons which
      bear plumes on the back. They are generally white. Among
      the best known species are the American egret ({Ardea
      egretta} syn. {Herodias egretta}); the great egret ({Ardea
      alba}); the little egret ({Ardea garzetta}), of Europe;
      and the American snowy egret ({Ardea candidissima}).
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            A bunch of egrets killed for their plumage. --G. W.
                                                  Cable.
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   2. A plume or tuft of feathers worn as a part of a headdress,
      or anything imitating such an ornament; an aigrette.
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   3. (Bot.) The flying feathery or hairy crown of seeds or
      achenes, as the down of the thistle.
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   4. (Zo["o]l.) A kind of ape.
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