wild duck
1
2.0
- noun
- /waɪld dʌk/
:
pato salvaje
- Five or six wild ducks flew overhead in a swiftly moving V, intent on some far-off destination.
- wild ducks fly
- other wild ducks
Examples
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The meal, as I remember, was a splendid spread, radiating outward from the central main dish of wild duck.
Fiction book (1999) -
Letty had prepared glazed wild duck as our entrée.
Fiction book (1995) -
In the fall, the wild ducks fly away after the summer people in great, glittering Vs.
Fiction book (1993) -
Attempt to 'save the wild ducks' ends with drunken woman pulled from creek.
Blog text (27) -
I have stayed well away from it, to the point where I have been forced to look at the sky: five wild ducks fly past in a triangle.
Academic text (2007) -
The aim of this study was to evaluate the pathogenesis and mode of transmission of this virus among domestic and wild ducks.
Academic text (2015) -
Glen Rock, Pa. -- A reportedly intoxicated woman was arrested Monday during Hurricane Sandy after jumping into a creek to "save the wild ducks," police said.
Blog text (27) -
Justina Laniewski, age 41, of the first block of Hanover St. in Glen Rock, was arrested by Southern Regional Police Monday during Hurricane Sandy after police said she jumped into the Codorus Creek to "save the wild ducks."
Blog text (27) -
In the serene quiet of the lake, several wild ducks paddled gracefully near the shore.
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Every spring, many wild ducks return to the wetlands to nest and raise their young.
Synonyms
290
1.0
A water bird with webbed feet, a wide beak, and short neck
11
1.4
A common wild duck whose male has a bright green head
1
6.0
A dark brown duck found in eastern North America
1
9.4
A medium-sized duck with gray-brown feathers that lives in northern parts of the world
1
7.0
A small brightly colored duck from East Asia often kept by people
A common wild duck, the mallard, that most domestic ducks come from
A North American duck with a white patch on the top of the male's head
A slim diving duck with a shaggy crest and reddish brown breast
A small duck from North America with a round crest on the male's head
A male duck with bright colourful feathers found in North America
A small duck with a reddish-brown body and a stiff tail
A sea duck with a long tail found in northern North America
A large wild duck with a crest that people raise for meat and eggs
A large duck from Central and South America kept for meat and eggs
How Domesticated
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning 'a duck that lives in the wild' is directly and transparently derived from combining the adjective 'wild' (living naturally, not domesticated) with the noun 'duck' (a water bird). This simple adjective+noun composition is cross-linguistically common and should be immediately understandable to a B1 learner who knows both constituent words.
Etymology
Wild duck is a simple name that gives a clear picture: a duck that is wild, living in nature and flying away from people. So, it means 'a duck that lives in the wild and has not been domesticated'.