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Glite Dictionary
Mergus albellus

Mergus albellus

9.9
A small diving duck with white and black male feathers found in northern Europe and Asia
  • noun
  • Specialized
: Mergus albellus
  • Ornithologists often study the diving behavior and habitat of Mergus albellus during migration.

Examples

  • The Mergus albellus is easily recognized by the striking plumage of the male.

  • Winter is the best season to observe Mergus albellus on northern European lakes.

  • The Mergus albellus is a fascinating bird.

  • I spotted a Mergus albellus while birdwatching.

  • Ornithologists often study the diving behavior and habitat of Mergus albellus during migration.

  • Winter is the best season to observe Mergus albellus on northern European lakes.

  • The Mergus albellus is easily recognized by the striking plumage of the male.

Synonyms

smew
vsMergus albellus
  • UK
9.9

A small diving duck with white and black feathers found in northern Europe and Asia

is the scientific Latin name for the same species

Surface Forms

Mergus albellus singular
Mergus albelluses plural

Morphology

Mergus + albellus

This is a Latin scientific name (binomial) rather than a compositional English phrase; the species meaning is not transparently built from everyday English words. 'Mergus' is a genus name and 'albellus' has no dictionary entry here, so a B1 learner who knows the listed constituents would not reliably infer that this refers to the smew, making the expression non-compositional for learners.

Etymology

Mergus albellus may come from old scientific words: Mergus for a diving duck and albellus meaning 'small white one'. So the name gives a clear picture of the tiny white duck called the 'smew', and that is why it refers to a small expert 'diver' on northern lakes.