The Collaborative International Dictionary
Duck \Duck\, n. [OE. duke, doke. See Duck, v. t. ]
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(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.
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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.
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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.
Wiktionary
n. (sea duck English)
Usage examples of "sea ducks".
Looking out through the trees on the west side of the road, he could see the green waves rolling across the Inner Sea and the flocks of sea ducks that rode them.
Looking outthrough the trees on the west side of the road, he couldsee the green waves rolling across the Inner Seaand the flocks of sea ducks that rode them.
The catboat dislodged protesting gulls and sea ducks as it slid out into the millpond-still surface between the piers.
He felt the pouch at his waist, the packet with the down from sea ducks in it to scatter on the slain victim as it had been done through all time.