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Glite Dictionary
musk duck

musk duck

8.0
A large wild duck with a crest that people raise for meat and eggs
  • noun
  • /mʌsk dʌk/
  • US
translation icon : pato almizclero
  • The farmer raises musk ducks for their meat and eggs.

Examples

  • In the wetlands, you can see a family of musk ducks swimming gracefully.

  • Many people prefer musk duck for its rich flavor in dishes.

  • A musk duck.

    Storm Boy (1977)

Synonyms

Cairina moschata
vsmusk duck
  • Specialized
9.9

A large crested duck from Central and South America that people keep for meat and eggs

is the same species but usually labeled with a different common name
Muscovy duck
vsmusk duck
  • US
8.3

A large duck from Central and South America kept for meat and eggs

stresses the crested form and broader domestication rather than just general wildness

How Domesticated

farm animal
22 1.0
musk duck
  • US
8.0
wild duck
1 2.0

Surface Forms

musk duck singular
musk ducks plural

Morphology

musk + duck

This is a straightforward noun compound where 'musk' modifies 'duck', so the meaning 'a duck characterized by or associated with musk' is directly inferable from the constituents. It follows regular English modifier+head composition, so a B1 learner who knows both words would reasonably understand it as a type of duck related to musk.

Etymology

The name musk duck comes from the strong scent that some of these birds, especially the males, give off during the mating season. So musk means a heavy 'scent' and duck is the bird, which is why the name points to a duck with a strong 'scent'.