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honker

honker

1 9.3
A Canada goose that makes a loud long sound
  • noun
  • /ˈhɔŋkər/
  • Informal
translation icon : ganso canadiense
  • honkers grazing
  • a dozen honkers
  • honkers call

Examples

  • His face was sheened with sweat, and there was even a drop trembling at the tip of his avian honker.

    Fiction book (1992)
  • I drive my van past a flowered gateway and a residential lake where Canadian honkers glide in stately procession across an olive surface.

    Fiction book (1996)
  • The honker honked loudly as it flew overhead, announcing its presence to everyone nearby.

  • We spotted a flock of honkers grazing peacefully by the lake at dawn.

  • The honker flapped its wings and let out a loud call, echoing across the water.

Synonyms

Canada goose
vshonker
  • US
3 2.7

A large wild goose from North America with a black head and neck and white cheeks

is the informal North American nickname for that bird
Canadian goose
vshonker
  • US
1 3.2

A large wild goose with a black head and white cheek patches that honks loudly and is often near lakes

emphasizes a loud trumpeting call rather than a honking one
Branta canadensis
vshonker
  • Specialized
6.9

A large North American wild goose with grey-brown feathers and a loud call

is the informal North American nickname rather than a scientific label

Surface Forms

honker singular
honkers plural

Morphology

honker = honk (transparent) = honk + er

Regular agent/characteristic nominalization: 'one that honks' -> a goose known for honking.

Etymology

Honker for a Canada goose comes from the word 'honk', the loud call these geese make, so people started calling the noisy birds 'honkers'.