scoter

[ skoh-ter ]

noun,plural sco·ters, (especially collectively) sco·ter.
  1. any of the large diving ducks of the genus Melanitta, inhabiting northern parts of the Northern Hemisphere.

Origin of scoter

1
First recorded in 1665–75; origin uncertain

Words Nearby scoter

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use scoter in a sentence

  • The American scoter is entirely black without markings; base of bill yellow and orange.

    The Bird Book | Chester A. Reed
  • The nest of the scoter is described as being like that of the Eider Duck, and similarly located.

  • The scoter is entirely black; it dives remarkably well, and can remain a long time under water.

    Poachers and Poaching | John Watson
  • The surf scoter is the rarest of the three British species, and is intermediate in size between the two last.

    Poachers and Poaching | John Watson
  • The note of the Surf scoter is to me the most pleasing of all the ducks.

British Dictionary definitions for scoter

scoter

/ (ˈskəʊtə) /


nounplural -ters or -ter
  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

Origin of scoter

1
C17: origin unknown

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