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ruddy duck
noun
: an American duck (Oxyura jamaicensis) with a long tail of stiff feathers, a broad bill, and in the breeding male a brownish-red back and sides and a blue bill
Examples of ruddy duck in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The Beverly Crest community, off Providence Road, produced ruddy ducks and another kingfisher.
—Taylor Piephoff, Charlotte Observer, 31 Jan. 2024
Read full article Bristol County: Six great shearwaters and three Wilson’s storm-petrels at Gooseberry Island in Westport, and six late ruddy ducks at South Watuppa Pond in Fall River.
—Isabela Rocha, BostonGlobe.com, 1 July 2023
Read full article Berkshire County: A golden eagle at Bartholomew’s Cobble, more than 10 bohemian waxwings among 120 cedar waxwings in downtown North Adams, a cackling goose at the Great Barrington Airport and three American wigeons and a ruddy duck at Pontoosuc Lake in Pittsfield.
—Isabela Rocha, BostonGlobe.com, 18 Mar. 2023
Indeed, at up to seven inches ruddy duck penises are sometimes longer than their bodies.
—Nathaniel Scharping, Discover Magazine, 20 Sep. 2017
Back at the harbor, another small waterbird — an eared grebe — was released alongside the ruddy duck Wednesday.
—Robin Estrin, Los Angeles Times, 14 Oct. 2021
But two lucky birds, a ruddy duck and an eared grebe, were released Wednesday after going through rehabilitation at the edge of Huntington Harbour.
—Alejandra Reyes-Velarde Staff Writer, Los Angeles Times, 15 Oct. 2021
Ten days later, Sam Christie, a wildlife care specialist from the UC Davis Oiled Wildlife Care Network, lifted the bird — a ruddy duck — from a soft, blue box and placed it at the edge of Huntington Harbour.
—Robin Estrin, Los Angeles Times, 14 Oct. 2021
The only wildlife confirmed to be affected by the spill so far is a ruddy duck, and is receiving veterinary care, Laughlin said.
—Veronica Rocha, CNN, 4 Oct. 2021
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Word History
First Known Use
1813, in the meaning defined above
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Cite this Entry
“Ruddy duck.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ruddy%20duck. Accessed 25 Dec. 2024.
More from Merriam-Webster on ruddy duck
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about ruddy duck
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