Definitions

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun A duck of the genus Mareca, belonging to the subfamily Anatinæ.
  • noun By extension, some or any wild duck, except the mallard: usually with a qualifying term.
  • noun The gad wall, Chaulelasmus streperus: more fully called gray widgeon. See cut under Chaulelasmus.
  • noun The pintail, Dafila acuta: more fully, gray or kite-tailed widgeon, or sea-widgeon. See cut under Dafila.
  • noun The wood-duck, Aix sponsa: more fully, wood-widgeon. See cut under wood-duck.
  • noun The ruddy duck, Erismatura rubida. See cut under Erismatura.
  • noun A fool: alluding to the supposed stupidity of the widgeon. Compare goose, gudgeon.
  • noun A small teasing fly; a midge.
  • noun The goldeneyed duck, Clangula glaucion.
  • noun The male goosander, Mergus merganser.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • noun (Zoöl.) Any one of several species of fresh-water ducks, especially those belonging to the subgenus Mareca, of the genus Anas. The common European widgeon (Anas penelope) and the American widgeon (Anas Americana) are the most important species. The latter is called also baldhead, baldpate, baldface, baldcrown, smoking duck, wheat, duck, and whitebelly.
  • noun the American widgeon.
  • noun the European tufted duck.
  • noun The pintail duck.
  • noun the poachard.
  • noun The goosander.
  • noun the merganser.
  • noun See in the Vocabulary.
  • noun [Prov. Eng.] the goosander.
  • noun the shoveler.
  • noun the smew.
  • noun the wood duck.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun Alternative spelling of wigeon.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun freshwater duck of Eurasia and northern Africa related to mallards and teals

Etymologies

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Examples

Comments

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  • Let some cry up woodcock or hare,

    Your bustards, your ducks, and your widgeons;

    But of all the gay birds in the air,

    Here’s a health to the Three Jolly Pigeons.

    Goldsmith, She Stoops, I

    January 8, 2007