duck2 (duk)

[= Sc. duik, duke, dook, tinct i on between any duck and other birds of the same family, as geese and mergansers, is not clear; but a duck may usually be recognized by the broad and flat bill, short legs, scutellate tarsi, and entirely feathered head. The common wild duck or mallard is Anas boscas , the feral stock of the domestic duck. The species of ducks are numerous, about 125, divided into some 40 modern genera, and found in nearly all parts of the world. Most ducks fall in one or the other of two series, fresh-water ducks or river-ducks, Anatinæ , and salt-water ducks or sea-ducks, Fuliguline ; and from the latter a few are sometimes detached to form a third subfamily, Erismaturinæ ; but the implied distinction in habits by no means holds good, since some or any river-ducks may be found in salt water, and few if any sea-ducks are entirely maritime. The mallard and closely related species now form the restricted genus Anas . Teal are small ducks, chiefly of the genus Querquedula ; Q. circia is the garganey. The widgeons form the genus Mareca ; the gadwalls, Chaulelasmus ; the spoonbills, Spatula ; the pintails or sprigtails, Darla . Certain arboreal ducks of various parts of the world constitute the genus Dendrocygna . The muscovy duck or musk duck is Cairina moschata. The celebrated mandarin duck of China and the wood-duck or summer duck of the United States are two species of the genus Aix , A. galericulata and A. sponsa . Sheldrakes or burrow-ducks are of the genus Casarca or Tadorna . A number of sea-ducks with black or red heads are placed in genera variously named Fuligula , Fulix , Aithyia , Nyroca , etc.; such are the scaups and pochards, the canvasback, and others. The duck nus variously called Clangula, Glaucion, and Bucephala. The harlequin duck is Histrionic us histrionic us or H. minu tus. The old-wife or long-tailed duck is Hareld a glacial is. The Labrador duck, Camptolæmus labrador i us, is notable as being probably on the point of extinction; it is a near relative of the steamer-duck of South America, Microp terus cinereus. Eiders are large sea-ducks of the genus So mater i a and some related genera. Scoters and surf ducks, also called sea-coots, are large black sea-ducks of the genus Edemia and its subdivisions. The ruddy ducks belong to the genus Erismatura and some related genera. Fishing-ducks, so called, are not properly ducks, but mergansers (Mergina). The duck and mallard first, the falconers only sport. Drayton, Polyolbion, xxv. 2. The female duck, as distinguished from the male, or drake (which see).-3. Some webfooted bird likened to or mistaken for a duck: as, the cobbler's-awl duck (that is, the avoset). 4. One of the stones used in playing the game of duck on drake. - Acorn-duck, the summer duck or wood-duck, Aiz sponsa. [Maryland, Carolina, U. S.] American' scaup duck, a variety of the common scaup peculiar to America, Aithyia marila nearctica. - Bimaculated duck. See bimaculate.-Black duck. (a) The dusky duck. (b) The velvet scoter. (c) The surf-scoter. [Local, U. S.]-Black English duck, the dusky duck. [Southern U. S.] - Blaten duck, the gadwall-that is, the blatant or bleating duck. [New Jersey, U. S.]-Bombay duck us bummal Brahminy duckSee brah miny. - Buffalo-headed, buffel-head, buffel's-head, or buffle-headed duck. Same as buffle1, 2. - Butter-duck. (a) The butterball. [Georgia, U. S.] (b) The ruddy duck. [Virginia, U. S.] - Cayuga duck, a large black variety of the domestic duck. It has been recently introduced into England.-Channel-duck, the velvet scoter. Sharp le , 1833. [Chesapeake Bay, U. S.] - Cobbler's-awl duck. See cobbler1.- Cock-robin duck, the hooded merganser. [New Jersey, U. S.] - Conjuring duck, the buffle or spirit-duck; also, the goldeneye or whistle wing: from their quickne in diving. Sir J. Richardson. [British America.]-Creek-duck, the gadwall. G. Trumbull. [Atlantic coast, U. S.] - Crested wood-duck, the woodduck. Belknap, 1784. [New Hampshire, U. S.]-Crow duck. See Fulica. - Cuthbert duck, or St. Cuthbert's duck, the common eider, So mater i a moll is sima. -Daub-duck, the ruddy duck, Erismatura rubida. G. Trumbull. [Rangeley lakes, Maine, U. S.] - Deaf-duck. Same as daub - duck. [Michigan, U. S.] - Duck on drake, a game in which one player places upon a large stone (the drake) a small stone (the duck ), which the other players try to knock off with their ducks and return to the pitching-line without having been touched. If the player whose duck is on the drake succeeds in touching one of the other players while his duck is in his hand, the latter takes his place, and the game continues as before. - Duclair duck, a French variety of the domestic duck, the result of cro ing white and colored varieties. - Dumpling duck. Same as daub - duck. [Georgia, U. S.] - Dunter duck. See dunter.-Dusky and spotted duck, the harlequin duck. G. Edwards, 1747. - Dusky duck, Anas obscura, a large duck closely related to the mallard, of varied dark coloration, with white under the wings and purplish-violet speculum, abundant along the eastern coast of the United States, and highly esteemed for food. A variety resident in Florida is Anas obscura fulvigula.-English duck, the mallard. G. Trumbull. [Local, southern U. S.] -Fall duck, the American redhead or pochard. School craft, 1820; Tanner, 1830.- Fan-crested duck, the hood ed merganser. Barton, 1799.-Fishor fishing-duck, a general name of mergansers, from their food or habits. Flock duck. See flocking - fowl. - Fool-duck, the ruddy duck, Erismatura rubida. G. Trumbull. [Michigan, -French duck, the mallard. [Louisiana, U. S.]-German duck, the gadwall. Also called Welsh drake. Giraud, 1844. [New Jersey, U. S.] - Gray duck. (a) Properly, the gray or gadwall, Anas strepera or Chaulelasmus streperus. (6) The fernale mallard. (c) The female pintail. [Local, U. S.]-Harle duck. Same as harle. Rev. C. Swains on, 1885. [Orkney islands.] - Harlequin duck. See harlequin.-Heavy-tailed duck, the ruddy duck. Also called bristletail, pintail, quill tail, stick tail, stiff tail, spine tail, etc., in reference to the peculiar tail-feathers. Sharp le , 1830. [Chesapeake Bay, U. S.] Herald duck, the herald, a merganser. [Shetland isles.] - Isles of Shoals duck, the American eider.- Labrador duck, Camptolæmus labrador i us, a species of sea-duck of the northeastern coast of North America. See def. 1.- Lame duck. See lame. - Little black and white duck, the male buffle. Edwards, 1747.- Little brown duck, the female buffle. Catesby, 1731.-Long-tailed duck, Hareld a glacial is or Clangula hyemalis. See hareld and Hareld a. - Maiden duck, the shoveler. Rev. C. Swains on. [Wexford, Ireland.] - Mandarin-duck, a beautiful kind of duck, Aix galericulata, having a purple, green, white, and chestnut plumage, and a varied green and purple crest. It is a native of China, and is regarded in that empire as an emblem of conjugal affection. It is a near relative of the common summer duck or wood-duck of the United States, Aiz sponsa.-Mire-, mo -, or muir-duck, the mallard. Rev. C. Swains on. (Local, Eng.]-Mountain duck, the harlequin. Sir J. Richardson. [Hudson's bay.] - Mu el duck thorn syduck menghiddock bay, New U. S.] - Noisy long-tailed J. J. Audubon. - Painted duck. (a) The Chinese man darin-duck, Aix galericulata. (b) The harlequin. [Hud son's bay.]-Penguin-duck, a variety of the domestic duck: so called from its erect attitude. - Pheasant-duck. 1789 the mallard. - Round-crested duck, the hooded merganser. - Ruddy duck, the most general name of Erismatura rubida: so called from the prevailing reddish color of the adult male, first by A. Wilson, 1814. It has many popular and more or le local names in the United States, derived from some peculiarity of its aspect or habits. - St. Cuthbert's duck. See Cuthbert duck. - Scale-duck, the red-breasted merganser. [Strang ford Lough.] - Scotch duck, the buffle. Also called Scotch man, Scotch dip per, Scotch teal. G. Trumbull. [North Carolina, U. S.]Scoter duck. See scoter. - Sharp-tailed duck, the long-tailed duck. Rev. C. Swains on. [Orkney and Shetland.]-Shoal-duck, the American eider. [New England.] - Sleepy duck, the ruddy duck.- Sleigh-bell duck, the American black scoter. G. Trumbull. [Rangeley lakes, Maine, U. S.] - Smoking-duck, the American widgeon. [Fur countries.] - Squam-duck, the American eider: so called from a locality in Long Island, New York. Giraud, 1844. Squaw-duck, the American eider: a misprint for squam- duck. De Kay, 1844; Trumbull, 1888. Stock-duck, the mallard. - Summer duck, a duck which summers breeds in place or region. Specifical lym a) The wood-duck (which see). See Aiz. [U. S.] (b) The garganey or summer teal, Querquedula circia. [Eng.] - Surf-duck, a sea-duck of the genus Edemia; a scoter; a sea-coot; specifically, E. per spic ill at a, inhabiting North America at large, especially coastwise, the male of which is black with a white patch on the nape and another on the poll, and the bill pinkish-white, orange, and black. - Swallow-tailed duck, the long-tailed duck. Swains on and Richardson, 1831. [Hudson's bay.] - To make or play (at) duck and drake, to make or play ducks and drakes. ( a ) To cast or shy a flat stone, a piece of slate, etc., along the surface of water so as to cause to strike and rebound repeatedly. What watered slates are best to make On watery surface duck - and -drake. . S. Butler, Hudibras. Duck and Drake is a very silly pastime, though inferior to few in point of antiquity, and was anciently played with flat shells, testulam marinam, which the boys threw into the water, and he whose shell rebounded most frequently from the surface before it finally sunk was the conqueror. Strutt , Sports and Pastimes, p. 494. Hence-(b) To handle or use a thing reckle ly; scatter; squander; throw into confusion: with with or of . He [the unscientific etymologist] has now added to his marvellous capacity for philological blundering the power of wandering into the field of comparative philology and of there playing ducks and drakes with the Aryan roots and their permutations. N. and Q., 7th ser., III. 312. My fortune is nae inheritance - a' mine ain acquisition - I can make ducks and drakes of it. So don't provoke H. Mackenzie , Man of the World, iv. 1. me. Tree-duck. (a) Any duck of the genus Dendrocygna (which see). (6) The wood-duck or summer duck, which breeds in trees. (c) The hooded merganser: so called from breeding in trees. R. Ridgway. [Indiana, Illinois, U. S.] Tufted duck, the ring-necked scaup, Aithyia collar is or Fuligula ruptorques. A. Wilson. - Velvet duck, the velvet or white-winged scoter. See scoter. - Wheat-duck, the American widgeon. D. Crary. [Oregon, U. S.] - Whistle-duck. See whistle wing. - Whistling duck or coot, the American black scoter. - White-faced duck or teal, the blue-winged teal. See teal. - White-winged surfduck, the velvet scoter. See scoter. - Wild duck, specifically, the mallard. - Winter duck, the long-tailed duck. [U. S.]-Wood duck. See wood -duck. duck3 (duk), n. [Prob. a familiar use of duck2 , like dove , chick1 = chuck2 , mouse , lamb , F. poule , and other zoölogical terms of endearment; but cf. Dan. dukke = Sw. dock a = East Fries. dokke , dok = G. docke , etc., a doll, puppet: see dock2 . Cf. also doxy .] A sweetheart; a darling: a word of endearment, fondne , or admiration. It is sometimes also applied to things: as, a duck of a bonnet. [Colloq.] IMG:content-0060.jpg:[blocks in formation] Prithee goe in (my duck ); I'le but speak to 'em, And return instantly. Fletcher , Spanish Curate, ii. 2.