: a small Eurasian merganser (Mergus albellus) with the male being white, gray, and black and the female chiefly gray but with a chestnut and white head

Word History

Etymology

akin to Middle High German smiehe smew

First Known Use

1674, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of smew was in 1674

Dictionary Entries Near smew

Cite this Entry

“Smew.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/smew. Accessed 21 Dec. 2024.

More from Merriam-Webster on smew

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!