Adjacent Words

flock duck definitions

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Webster's 1913 Dictionary

2. (Zo["o]l.) A scaup duck. See below. Scaup duck (Zo["o]l.), any one of several species of northern ducks of the genus Aythya, or Fuligula. The adult males are, in large part, black. The three North American species are: the greater scaup duck (Aythya marila, var. nearctica), called also broadbill, bluebill, blackhead, flock duck, flocking fowl, and raft duck; the lesser scaup duck (A. affinis), called also little bluebill, river broadbill, and shuffler; the tufted, or ring-necked, scaup duck (A. collaris), called also black jack, ringneck, ringbill, ringbill shuffler, etc. See Illust.. of Ring-necked duck, under Ring-necked. The common European scaup, or mussel, duck (A. marila), closely resembles the American variety.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Raft Raft, n. [Originally, a rafter, spar, and fr. Icel. raptr a rafter; akin to Dan. raft, Prov. G. raff a rafter, spar; cf. OHG. r[=a]fo, r[=a]vo, a beam, rafter, Icel. r[=a]f roof. Cf. Rafter, n.] 1. A collection of logs, boards, pieces of timber, or the like, fastened, together, either for their own collective conveyance on the water, or to serve as a support in conveying other things; a float. 2. A collection of logs, fallen trees, etc. (such as is formed in some Western rivers of the United States), which obstructs navigation. [U.S.] 3. [Perhaps akin to raff a heap.] A large collection of people or things taken indiscriminately. [Slang, U. S.] ``A whole raft of folks.'' --W. D. Howells. Raft bridge. (a) A bridge whose points of support are rafts. (b) A bridge that consists of floating timbers fastened together. Raft duck. [The name alludes to its swimming in dense flocks.] (Zo["o]l.) (a) The bluebill, or greater scaup duck; -- called also flock duck. See Scaup. (b) The redhead. Raft port (Naut.), a large, square port in a vessel's side for loading or unloading timber or other bulky articles; a timber or lumber port.