merganser
UK /məˈɡænsə/ · US /mɚˈɡænsɚ/ noun
Forms mergansers
- noun Any of various diving ducks of the genera Mergus or Lophodytes, which feed on fish and have a sharply serrated bill.
Synonyms
Etymology
From Late Latin merganser, from Latin mergus (“waterfowl, diver”), from mergō (“to dip, immerse”) + ānser (“goose”).
Webster’s 1913
- noun Any bird of the genus Merganser, and allied genera. They are allied to the ducks, but have a sharply serrated bill.
Etymology [Sp. mergánsar, fr. mergo a diver (L. mergus, fr. mergere to dip, dive) + ánsar goose, L. anser.]
Sources: Wiktionary · WordNet 3.0 · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “merganser”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details