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Glite Dictionary
Anas acuta

Anas acuta

9.9
A duck with a long neck and pointed tail feathers
  • noun
  • Specialized
translation icon : anade rabudo
  • Male Anas acuta are easily recognized by their elegant pointed tail feathers.

Examples

  • The northern Anas acuta is a familiar sight in wetlands during migration season.

  • Birdwatchers observed a flock of Anas acuta feeding along the riverbank.

  • The Anas acuta is often seen in wetlands.

  • Look at that Anas acuta swimming gracefully!

  • Birdwatchers observed a flock of Anas acuta feeding along the riverbank.

  • Male Anas acuta are easily recognized by their elegant pointed tail feathers.

  • The northern Anas acuta is a familiar sight in wetlands during migration season.

Synonyms

pintail
vsAnas acuta
1 7.5

A duck with a long neck and pointed tail feathers

is the species name used in scientific naming
pin-tailed duck
vsAnas acuta
8.6

A duck with a long neck and long thin tail feathers

is the wider species name without focusing on habitat or regions

Surface Forms

Anas acuta singular
Anas acuta plural

Morphology

Anas + acuta

This is a Linnaean (Latin) binomial: 'Anas' denotes the duck genus and 'acuta' is a Latin adjective meaning 'sharp' or 'pointed', so the name literally describes a 'pointed' (pintail) duck and is partially compositional. However, 'acuta' is not an English word and requires knowledge of Latin roots or taxonomic conventions, so a typical B1 learner who only knows basic English constituents would not reliably derive the species meaning without prior exposure.

Etymology

Anas acuta comes from Latin words: Anas meaning 'duck' and acuta meaning 'sharp' or 'pointed'. The name gives a simple picture of a duck with long, pointed tail feathers, which is why this species is also called the 'pintail'.