bittern

bittern · noun¹

1. Latin · derived frombūtiō“bittern”
2. Old French · derived frombutor
3. Middle English · inherited frombitour
4. English todaybittern

From Middle English bitour, botor, from Old French butor, from Gallo-Roman *butitaurus, a blend of Latin būtiō (“bittern”) and taurus (“bull, ox”).

bittern · noun²

From bitter with an unclear suffix, perhaps a dialect form of -ing.

Words from the same roots