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Glite Dictionary
genus Mergus

genus Mergus

9.4
A group of fish-eating ducks with narrow saw-edged bills
  • noun
  • Specialized
translation icon : género Mergus
  • The genus Mergus includes several species of diving ducks known for their narrow, serrated bills.

Examples

  • The genus Mergus includes several species of fish-eating ducks.

  • The red-breasted merganser is one of the most widely distributed members of the genus Mergus.

  • Researchers observed a decline in the population of birds belonging to the genus Mergus in the region.

  • Did you know that the genus Mergus is known for its unique serrated bills?

  • Researchers observed a decline in the population of ducks belonging to the genus Mergus due to habitat loss.

  • The genus Mergus comprises various species of ducks that are adept at catching fish with their serrated bills.

  • Among the duck species, the red-breasted merganser is notable for its place in the genus Mergus, which is specialized in aquatic hunting.

Synonyms

Mergus
vsgenus Mergus
  • Specialized
9.9

A group of ducks that eat fish and have narrow saw-edged bills

refers to the same group but names its taxonomic rank explicitly

Surface Forms

genus Mergus singular
genera Mergus plural

Morphology

genus + Mergus

The phrase is compositionally built from 'genus' (a taxonomic rank) plus the proper name 'Mergus' (the specific genus). A learner who knows both constituents can directly infer it refers to the taxonomic group named Mergus; this naming pattern is literal and cross-linguistically common, so it is immediately understandable.

Etymology

Genus Mergus comes from Latin words: genus meaning 'group' or 'kind' and Mergus which was an old name for a 'diving bird'. Picture a narrow, saw-like billed duck diving for fish — that image explains why Genus Mergus now names a group of fish-eating ducks with thin, saw-like bills.