Bombay duck

noun

a small lizardfish, Harpadon nehereus, inhabiting river mouths and estuaries of Asia.
(in India) the flesh of this fish, impregnated with asafetida, dried, salted, and used as a condiment or relish, especially with curry.

Origin of Bombay duck

First recorded in 1665–75

Also called bummalo.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

British Dictionary definitions for bombay duck

Bombay duck

noun

a teleost fish, Harpodon nehereus, that resembles and is related to the lizard fishes: family Harpodontidae . It is eaten dried with curry dishes as a savouryAlso called: bummalo

Word Origin for Bombay duck

C19: changed from bombil (see bummalo) through association with Bombay (now Mumbai), from which it was exported

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