Bittern

1. (n.) A wading bird of the genus Botaurus, allied to the herons, of various species.

2. (n.) The brine which remains in salt works after the salt is concreted, having a bitter taste from the chloride of magnesium which it contains.

3. (n.) A very bitter compound of quassia, cocculus Indicus, etc., used by fraudulent brewers in adulterating beer.

Thesaurus Entries

Audubon warbler, Canada goose, English sparrow, accumulator, adjutant bird, agreeable rattle, albatross, all sorts, argala, assemblage, assortment, auk, auklet, avocet, babbler, bald eagle, baldpate, bank swallow, barbet, barn owl, barn swallow, barnacle goose, big talker, bill collector, bittern, blab, blabber, blabberer, blabbermouth, blackbird, blackcap, blatherer, blue jay, booby, broad spectrum, bullfinch, bunting, bush wren, bushtit, butcher bird, buzzard, canary, canvasback, capercaillie, caracara, cardinal, cassowary, catbird, cattle egret, chaffinch, chat, chatterbox, chatterer, chewink, chickadee, chicken hawk, chimney swift, chipping sparrow, cliff swallow, cockatiel, cockatoo, collection agent, collector, condor, conglomeration, connoisseur, coot, cormorant, cowbird, crake, crane, creeper, crossbill, crow, cuckoo, curlew, cushat, dipper, dodo, douanier, dove, duck, dunlin, dunner, eagle, egret, eider duck, emu, erne, exciseman, falcon, farmer, finch, flamingo, flicker, flycatcher, frigate bird, fulmar, gabber, gabbler, gallimaufry, gannet, garganey, gasbag, gatherer, gibble-gabbler, goldeneye, goldfinch, goose, great talker, greylag goose, grosbeak, grouse, guillemot, guinea fowl, gull, gyrfalcon, harrier, hash, hawk, hawk owl, hermit thrush, heron, hobby, hodgepodge, honker, hoopoe, hoot owl, horned owl, hot-air artist, hotchpot, hotchpotch, house finch, house martin, hummingbird, ibis, idle chatterer, indigo bunting, jabberer, jackdaw, jay, jumble, junco, jungle fowl, kea, kestrel, killdee, killdeer, kingbird, kingfisher, kinglet, kite, kittiwake, kiwi, kookaburra, lammergeier, lapwing, lark, laughing jackass, linnet, loon, macaw, mallard, marabou, martin, mash, mavis, medley, melange, merganser, merl, mess, mew, mingle-mangle, miscellany, miser, mishmash, mix, mixed bag, mockingbird, moulin a paroles, mud hen, murre, mute swan, myna, myna bird, night-heron, nighthawk, nightingale, nightjar, nutcracker, nuthatch, odds and ends, olio, olla podrida, omnium-gatherum, oriole, ortolan, osprey, ostrich, ouzel, owl, oyster catcher, pack rat, parakeet, parrot, partridge, passenger pigeon, pasticcio, pastiche, patchwork, patterer, peafowl, peewee, pelican, penguin, petrel, phalarope, pheasant, phoebe, pigeon, plover, potpourri, prater, prattler, ptarmigan, puffin, rail, rattle, raven, razorbill, red grouse, redbird, redhead, redpoll, redshank, redstart, redwing, rhea, ring ouzel, ringdove, ringtail, robin, rook, ruddy duck, salad, salmagundi, sapsucker, sauce, scarlet tanager, scaup duck, scramble, screech owl, sea duck