merganser

American  

[mer-gan-ser] / mərˈgæn sər /

noun

plural

mergansers,

plural

merganser

1. any of several fish-eating diving ducks of the subfamily Merginae, having a narrow bill hooked at the tip and serrated at the edges.

---

merganser British  

/ mɜːˈɡænsə /

noun

1. Also called: sawbill.  any of several typically crested large marine diving ducks of the genus Mergus, having a long slender hooked bill with serrated edges See also goosander

---

Etymology

Origin of merganser

1745–55; < New Latin, equivalent to Latin merg ( us ) diver, a kind of water bird + ānser goose

Example Sentences

Potential bird sightings include gadwalls and buffleheads, dazzling ducks like the common goldeneye and the red-breasted merganser and tons of gulls, including the laughing gull and the ring-billed gull.

From New York Times • Jun. 6, 2023

They are part of this spring’s baby bird boom at the zoo, along with a recent Orinoco goose hatchling and five merganser ducklings born this week.

From Seattle Times • Apr. 27, 2023

Common merganser: The males have green heads like mallards while the females are redheads.

From Washington Times • Mar. 19, 2016

There were also 150 long-tailed ducks, 300 scoters, 40 goldeneye, 15 buffleheads, nine mallards, one red-breasted merganser, two kinds of gulls, 20 Canada geese, and a raft of maybe 900 scaups.

From Slate • Jan. 27, 2016

“That’s the merganser we found at Mill Pond,” I said, pointing to the duck with a Mohawk.

From "The Line Tender" by Kate Allen