scoter

American  

[skoh-ter] / ˈskoʊ tər /

noun

scoters, plural scoter plural

1. any of the large diving ducks of the genus Melanitta, inhabiting northern parts of the Northern Hemisphere.

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scoter British  

/ ˈskəʊtə /

noun

1. any sea duck of the genus Melanitta, such as M. nigra ( common scoter ), of northern regions. The male plumage is black with white patches around the head and eyes

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• scoter
  plural
• scoters
  plural

Etymology

Origin of scoter

First recorded in 1665–75; origin uncertain

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

scoter scoters

She showed black dots bobbing upon silver lanes, which were sea-duck of various kinds—scaup, long tail, scoter, and the rest.

From The Way of the Wild by Rountree, Harry

The coming of the scoter brought flush times, and in hard weather our takes were tremendous.

From The Confessions of a Poacher by Anonymous

The radiant waves attract flights of scoter ducks from far away, and herons, bitterns, and white-flanked, pink-winged flamingos, lining up to fish all along the banks, in many-coloured strands.

From Letters from my Windmill by Daudet, Alphonse

We are offering people modes of transportation like transit and scoters and bikes.

From Washington Times ● Aug. 11, 2019

Surf scoters have white feathers that make them look like the white tips of waves.

From Slate ● Jan. 27, 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

At least 80 birds, including surf scoters, buffleheads and common goldeneyes, have died.

From Salon ● Jan. 20, 2015

During the rigour of winter great flocks of migratory ducks and geese came to the bay, and prominent among them were immense flocks of scoters.

From The Confessions of a Poacher by Anonymous