eider
UK /ˈaɪdə/ · US /ˈaɪdɚ/ noun, proper noun
Forms eiders
- noun Any of the species of Somateria spp. and Polysticta stelleri or of the seaduck subfamily Merginae, which line their nests with fine down (taken from their own bodies).
- proper noun A river in Germany, the boundary between Schleswig and Holstein.
Synonyms
Etymology
From Icelandic æðar, genitive of æðr, probably reaching English via Swedish eider (now ejder), from a North Germanic root.
Webster’s 1913
- noun 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. Etym: [Cf. Icel. æ\'ebardun, Sw. eiderdun, Dan. ederduun.] Down of the eider duck, much sought after as an article of luxury.
Etymology [Of Scand. origin, cf. Icel æ; akin to Sw. eider, Dan. ederfugl.]
Sources: Wiktionary · WordNet 3.0 · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “eider”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details