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Glite Dictionary
blue-winged teal

blue-winged teal

1 8.5
A small duck with a blue patch on its wings found in North America
  • noun
  • /bluː wɪŋd tiːl/
  • Specialized
translation icon : pato de alas azules
  • The blue-winged teal is easily identifiable by the striking blue patch on its wings during flight.

Examples

  • A blue-winged teal in flight over a swampy marshland.

    Fiction book (1996)

  • While birdwatching in the wetlands, we spotted a blue-winged teal swimming gracefully among the reeds.

  • In the early morning, a blue-winged teal took off from the pond, gliding effortlessly into the sunrise.

Synonyms

bluewing
vsblue-winged teal
  • US
8.3

A small duck from North America with a blue patch on its wings

is the standard common name rather than that alternate term
Anas discors
vsblue-winged teal
  • Specialized
9.6

A small duck from North America with blue patches on the wings

is the everyday common name used in general speech and guides

Surface Forms

blue-winged teal singular
blue-winged teals plural

Morphology

blue-winged + teal

The noun phrase is a straightforward adjective + noun composition: 'blue-winged' (having blue wings) modifying 'teal' (a small duck). A B1 learner who knows the constituent meanings can readily infer it denotes a teal with blue-colored wings because this compositional pattern is literal and cross-linguistically common.

Etymology

Blue-winged teal: The name blue-winged teal comes from the bird's look; a teal is a 'small duck' and it is winged with bright blue patches, so the name simply describes the duck.