sheldrake
Americannoun
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any of several Old World ducks of the genus Tadorna, certain species of which have highly variegated plumage.
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any of various other ducks, especially the goosander or merganser.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of sheldrake
1275–1325; Middle English sheldedrake, equivalent to sheld particolored + drake drake 1
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
He will find there in proper season the canvas-back, mallard, teal, white-winged coot, sheldrake, etc.
From Nooks and Corners of the New England Coast by Drake, Samuel Adams
The sheldrake ducks also have a fleshy growth on the bill.
From The Log of the Sun A Chronicle of Nature's Year by Beebe, William
But during the summer months nothing remained except the geese and sheldrake and the goosander, which is resident in Tibet and the Himalayas.
From The Unveiling of Lhasa by Candler, Edmund
The tame bird is no bigger than a domestic duck; the wild sheldrake, flying about in the strong sunshine, looks almost as large as a goose.
From Birds and Man by Hudson, W. H. (William Henry)
In America the name "sheldrake" is applied erroneously to the fish-eating mergansers, and much confusion has thus arisen, for the two are quite unrelated and belong to perfectly distinct groups.
From Camps and Trails in China A Narrative of Exploration, Adventure, and Sport in Little-Known China by Andrews, Roy Chapman
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
