bidarka

or bai·dar·ka

[ bahy-dahr-kuh ]

noun

a sealskin boat used by primarily by the Alaskan Aleuts.

Origin of bidarka

First recorded in 1825–35; from Russian baĭdárka, equivalent to baĭdár(a) “kind of river craft” (apparently akin to baĭdák “river craft, barge,” Old Russian baidakŭ, bodakŭ, of obscure origin) + -ka diminutive suffix

Sometimes bi·da·ra [bahy-dahr-uh], /baɪˈdɑr ə/, bi·dar·kee [bahy-dahr-kee] /baɪˈdɑr ki/ .

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use bidarka in a sentence

Their ships take on board a certain number of natives, with their baidarkas, and implements of fishing and hunting.
A Voyage Round the World, from 1806 to 1812 | Archibald Campbell
We quitted the hut on the 28th, in the canoes, which were baidarkas, with three seats in each.
A Voyage Round the World, from 1806 to 1812 | Archibald Campbell
In May, the Koniagas set out in two-oared baidarkas 77 for distant islands, in search of sea-otter.
The Works of Hubert Howe Bancroft, Volume 1 | Hubert Howe Bancroft
Whales approach the coast of Kadiak in June, when the inhabitants pursue them in baidarkas.
The Works of Hubert Howe Bancroft, Volume 1 | Hubert Howe Bancroft

British Dictionary definitions for bidarka

bidarka

bidarkee (baɪˈdɑːkiː)

/ (baɪˈdɑːkə) /

noun

a canoe covered in animal skins, esp sealskin, used by the Inuit of Alaska

Origin of bidarka

C19: from Russian baidarka, diminutive of baidara umiak

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

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