The Collaborative International Dictionary
Duck \Duck\, n. [OE. duke, doke. See Duck, v. t. ]
-
(Zool.) Any bird of the subfamily Anatin[ae], family Anatid[ae].
Note: The genera and species are numerous. They are divided into river ducks and sea ducks. Among the former are the common domestic duck ( Anas boschas); the wood duck ( Aix sponsa); the beautiful mandarin duck of China ( Dendronessa galeriliculata); the Muscovy duck, originally of South America ( Cairina moschata). Among the sea ducks are the eider, canvasback, scoter, etc.
-
A sudden inclination of the bead or dropping of the person, resembling the motion of a duck in water. Here be, without duck or nod, Other trippings to be trod. --Milton. Bombay duck (Zo["o]l.), a fish. See Bummalo. Buffel duck, Spirit duck. See Buffel duck. Duck ant (Zo["o]l.), a species of white ant in Jamaica which builds large nests in trees. Duck barnacle. (Zo["o]l.) See Goose barnacle. Duck hawk. (Zo["o]l.)
In the United States: The peregrine falcon.
-
In England: The marsh harrier or moor buzzard.
Duck mole (Zo["o]l.), a small aquatic mammal of Australia, having webbed feet and a bill resembling that of a duck ( Ornithorhynchus anatinus). It belongs the subclass Monotremata and is remarkable for laying eggs like a bird or reptile; -- called also duckbill, platypus, mallangong, mullingong, tambreet, and water mole.
To make ducks and drakes, to throw a flat stone obliquely, so as to make it rebound repeatedly from the surface of the water, raising a succession of jets; hence:
To play at ducks and drakes, with property, to throw it away heedlessly or squander it foolishly and unprofitably.
Lame duck. See under Lame.
Bummalo \Bum"ma*lo\, n. [Native name.] (Zo["o]l.) A small marine Asiatic fish ( Saurus ophidon) used in India as a relish; -- called also Bombay duck.
Wikipedia
The Bombay duck or bummalo, Harpadon nehereus, ( Bengali: bamaloh or loytta, Marathi: bombil, Sinhala: bombeli, Urdu: بمبل مچھلی) is, despite its name, not a duck but a lizardfish. Adults may reach a maximum length of 40 cm, but the usual size is around 25 cm.
Usage examples of "bombay duck".
The mad rush burst in through the Swans rear door, carrying it from its hinges and depositing it on the cross-legged form of Vindaloo Vic, the manager of the Curry Garden, who had been busily employed in the heaping of sausages and steakettes into a stack of foil containers to be later resold in his establishment as Bombay Duck.
Rick identified fresh-grated coconut, the tiny dried fish known as Bombay duck, fresh ginger, chutney, red peppers, green peppers, pickled peppers, oyster sauce, black-bean sauce, chopped cashew nuts, mango pickles, strips of dried trepang, and pickled banana buds.