eider duck
NounSynonyms:
eider
Open English WordNet
Noun (1)
- duck of the Northern Hemisphere much valued for the fine soft down of the femalesSynonyms: eiderType of sea duckParts eiderdownMember of Somateria, genus Somateria
Word of the day · Nov 10About this word
hiatusnoun
What does it mean? Question 1 of today’s quiz
Webster's Dictionary (1913)
“eider duck” is listed under Eider.
Ei′der noun
Origin: Of Scand. origin, cf. Icel æ…r; akin to Sw. eider, Dan. ederfugl.
Zoology Any species of sea duck of the genus Somateria, esp. Somateria mollissima, which breeds in the northern parts of Europe and America, and lines its nest with fine down (taken from its own body) which is an article of commerce; — called also eider duck. The American eider (S. Dresseri), the king eider (S. spectabilis), and the spectacled eider (Arctonetta Fischeri) are related species.
Eider down. Down of the eider duck, much sought after as an article of luxury.
Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913), from GCIDE 0.54