lake duck
1
7.4
- noun
- /leɪk dʌk/
- US
:
pato de lago
- On our birdwatching trip, we spotted a lake duck diving for food in the calm waters.
Examples
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The lake duck, also known as the common scaup, is often found in North American lakes.
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The Argentine lake duck has a penis as long as its body.
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An Argentine lake duck has a penis as long as its body.
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The male lake duck displays a striking purplish head during mating season.
Synonyms
1
9.9
A medium-sized diving duck with a blue-grey bill found in North America, Europe and Asia
A large diving duck found in North America and northern Eurasia whose males have a greenish shine on their heads
A large North American diving duck whose male has a greenish head
A diving duck from North America with a blue-grey bill that lives in lakes and near the sea
A North American diving duck with a bluish-grey bill
Surface Forms
Morphology
The compound 'lake duck' is compositionally built from 'lake' + 'duck' and a B1 learner who knows those words will readily infer it denotes a duck associated with lakes (a duck that lives in or frequents lakes). Although the precise species name and distinguishing features are not predictable, the core referential meaning is transparent and follows a common noun–noun compounding pattern.
Etymology
The compound noun lake duck comes from a simple picture: a duck that lives on and dives in a lake to find food. So, people used that clear image to name the North American 'diving' duck we call a lake duck today.