eider duck

eider duck
Eider Ei"der, n. [Of Scand. origin, cf. Icel [ae]?r; akin to Sw. eider, Dan. ederfugl.] (Zo["o]l.) 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. [1913 Webster]

{Eider down}. [Cf. Icel. [ae][eth]ard[=u]n, Sw. eiderd[=u]n, Dan. ederduun.] Down of the eider duck, much sought after as an article of luxury. [1913 Webster]


The Collaborative International Dictionary of English. 2000.

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  • eider duck — noun duck of the northern hemisphere much valued for the fine soft down of the females • Syn: ↑eider • Hypernyms: ↑sea duck • Member Holonyms: ↑Somateria, ↑genus Somateria • Part Meronyms: ↑ …   Useful english dictionary

  • eider duck — noun see eider …   New Collegiate Dictionary

  • eider duck — ei′der duck n. orn any of several large diving ducks, esp. of the genus Somateria, of northern seas • Etymology: 1850–55 …   From formal English to slang

  • eider duck — any of several large sea ducks of the genus Soamateria and allied genera of the Northern Hemisphere, the females of which yield eiderdown. [1850 55] * * * …   Universalium

  • Eider — Ei der, n. [Of Scand. origin, cf. Icel [ae]?r; akin to Sw. eider, Dan. ederfugl.] (Zo[ o]l.) 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… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Eider down — Eider Ei der, n. [Of Scand. origin, cf. Icel [ae]?r; akin to Sw. eider, Dan. ederfugl.] (Zo[ o]l.) Any species of sea duck of the genus {Somateria}, esp. {Somateria mollissima}, which breeds in the northern parts of Europe and America, and lines… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Eider (disambiguation) — Eider may refer to:* Four species of birds in two genera, Somateria and Polysticta of the duck subfamily Merginae. These are: ** Common Eider Somateria mollissima ** Spectacled Eider Somateria fischeri ** King Eider Somateria spectabilis **… …   Wikipedia

  • eider — ► NOUN (pl. same or eiders) 1) (also eider duck) a northern sea duck, the male of which has mainly black and white plumage. 2) (also eider down) small, soft feathers from the breast of the female eider duck. ORIGIN Old Norse …   English terms dictionary

  • eider — [ī′dər] n. pl. eiders or eider [ult. < ON æthar, gen of æthr, eider duck] 1. any of several large sea ducks (esp. genus Somateria) that live in northern regions of Europe, Asia, and North America: often eider duck 2. EIDERDOWN (sense 1) …   English World dictionary

  • Duck family (Disney) — A portion of the Duck/McDuck family tree showing several of the more famous Ducks The Duck family is a fictional family created by The Walt Disney Company. Its best known member is Donald Duck. In the early 1950s Carl Barks was in his second… …   Wikipedia

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