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Glite Dictionary
eider duck

eider duck

6.7
A large sea duck from northern coasts whose female gives soft down used in quilts and pillows
  • noun
  • /ˈaɪdər dʌk/
translation icon : pato eider
  • The eider duck is known for supplying the luxurious down used in high-quality bedding.

Examples

  • Many eider ducks migrate south for the winter.

  • She learned that the finest duvets are filled with eider duck down.

  • During migration, flocks of eider ducks can be seen along the northern coasts.

  • The eider duck is known for its soft down.

  • The soft down from the female eider duck is highly valued for making warm pillows and blankets.

  • In the early spring, flocks of eider ducks can be seen nesting along the rocky coastline.

  • Hunters often seek the eider duck for its beautiful plumage and prized down feathers.

Synonyms

eider
vseider duck
1 9.0

A large sea duck with very soft breast feathers used to fill warm bedding

is the same meaning but uses the fuller two-word form
Somateria
vseider duck
  • Specialized
9.9

A group of sea ducks called eiders with soft down feathers that live on cold northern coasts

is one species of northern sea bird and not the whole genus

Surface Forms

eider duck singular
eider ducks plural

Morphology

eider + duck

This is a straightforward noun–noun compound where the meaning ('a duck of the eider type, prized for its down') is directly derivable from the constituents: 'eider' (a type of duck associated with down) + 'duck' (aquatic bird). The composition denotes a subtype relation and follows common cross‑linguistic noun‑modifier patterns, so a learner who knows both words will understand it.

Etymology

Eider duck is a sea duck whose female plucks soft 'down' from her breast to line her nest, leaving a warm, fluffy material. People collected this 'down' from empty nests to fill quilts and pillows, so the name eider duck became linked to the duck prized for that soft filling.