goosander

[ goo-san-der ]

Phonetic (Standard)IPA

noun

, British.

goosander

/ ɡuːˈsændə /

a common merganser (a duck), Mergus merganser, of Europe and North America, having a dark head and white body in the male

1615–25; alteration of gossander; perhaps blend of goose and obsolete bergander shelduck (< ?)

C17: probably from goose ¹+ Old Norse önd (genitive andar ) duck

Liguli live some days in the goosander, but they do not maintain their position.

The habits of the Goosander and Merganser are so much alike that further detail is unnecessary.

The females and young birds of the Goosander and Merganser are popularly called Dun-divers.

Smew, smū, n. a bird of the family Anatid, in the same genus as the goosander and mergansers.

In the large goosander we have found one which has round its head four blades, crossing each other, toothed on the concave side.

April 25, 2024firkin

[fur-kin ]

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