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Glite Dictionary
shelduck

shelduck

8.7
A large duck with bright feathers that lives in Europe, Asia, and Africa
  • noun
  • /ˈʃɛlˌdʌk/
  • UK
translation icon : pato shelduck
  • The shelduck is known for its bold plumage and loud calls.

Examples

  • We spotted a striking shelduck gliding across the pond during our morning walk.

  • Several shelducks nested near the estuary last spring.

  • Look at that shelduck!

  • The shelduck swam gracefully across the lake.

  • We spotted a striking shelduck gliding across the pond during our morning walk.

  • Several shelducks nested near the estuary last spring.

  • The shelduck is known for its bold plumage and loud calls.

Synonyms

sheldrake
vsshelduck
  • UK
1 9.8

A large duck with black and white feathers and a red bill

has bright multicolored plumage rather than mainly black and white

Surface Forms

shelduck singular
shelducks plural

Morphology

shelduck = duck (semi-transparent) = sheld + duck

The word is recognized as a type of duck from the 'duck' element, but the modifier 'sheld' is not a productive or clearly meaningful modern morpheme for learners.

Etymology

Shelduck probably comes from an old word sheld- meaning 'mixed-colour' or 'pied', combined with duck. So it literally names a 'duck with bold patches of colour', which fits the bird's bright, striking feathers.