This shows grade level based on the word's complexity.
geoduck
or gwe·duc
[ goo-ee-duhk ]
/ ˈgu iˌdʌk /
Save This Word!
This shows grade level based on the word's complexity.
noun
a very large, edible, saltwater clam of the genus Panope that burrows into the mud, feeding through a long siphon, the so-called neck, that extends upward: specimens of P. generosa(Pacific geoduck ), of the waters off western Canada and northwestern United States, have been found to live more than 140 years, and some have exceeded a shell length of 10 inches (25 centimeters), a siphon length of 5 feet (1.5 meters), and a weight of 15 pounds (7 kilograms).
QUIZ
WILL YOU SAIL OR STUMBLE ON THESE GRAMMAR QUESTIONS?
Smoothly step over to these common grammar mistakes that trip many people up. Good luck!
Question 1 of 7
Fill in the blank: I can’t figure out _____ gave me this gift.
Also called king clam .
Origin of geoduck
An Americanism dating back to 1880–85; from Lushootseed (formerly Puget Salish ) gwídəq, of uncertain meaning: either an element gwíd-, of uncertain origin + -əq “genitals” (from the resemblance of the siphon to a penis), or from a phrase meaning “dig deep” (because the mollusk buries itself up to three feet deep in sand, silt, or gravel)
historical usage of geoduck
All agree that the word geoduck originated in a Native American Salish language of the Pacific Northwest. Some say (as at Evergreen State College in Washington State where the official school mascot is a geoduck) that it means “dig deep,” but others say the final -əq of the Salish word gwídəq means “genitals.” Since ESC's motto is “Let It All Hang Out,” they seem happy to embrace both aspects of this unusual creature. How the [goo-ee] /ˈgu i/ sound came to be spelled geo is anyone's guess, but it's most likely a European interpretation of the Salish pronunciation.
What you choose to believe is up to you, but just don't call it a JEE-oh-duhk.
What you choose to believe is up to you, but just don't call it a JEE-oh-duhk.
Words nearby geoduck
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
British Dictionary definitions for geoduck
geoduck
/ (ˈdʒiːəʊˌdʌk) /
noun
Canadian a large edible clam
Word Origin for geoduck
from Chinook jargon
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