goosander
Appearance
English
[edit]Etymology
[edit]Blend of goose + gander. The oldest known use is by Drayton (1622).
Noun
[edit]goosander (plural goosanders)
- A merganser, Mergus merganser, of the northern hemisphere. They eat fish and are common on lakes and rivers.
- 1622, Michael Drayton, Poly-Olbion, song 25 p. 106:
- As they above the rest were Lords of Earth and Ayre.
The Gossander with them, my goodly Fennes doe show
His head as Ebon blacke, the rest as white as Snow,
Synonyms
[edit]- (North American) common merganser, Mergus merganser
Translations
[edit]diving duck
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