waterfowl
Americannoun
plural
waterfowls,plural
waterfowl-
a water bird, especially a swimming bird.
-
such birds taken collectively, especially the swans, geese, and ducks.
noun
-
any aquatic freshwater bird, esp any species of the family Anatidae (ducks, geese, and swans)
-
such birds collectively
Etymology
Origin of waterfowl
1250–1300; Middle English; cognate with German Wasservogel; water, fowl
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.
Don Phillips, head waterfowl warden, said it was not the first time nests had been lost.
From BBC • Mar. 1, 2026
The researchers suggest that these young eagles could be taking advantage of seasonal food bonanzas such as spawning salmon, nesting waterfowl, or carcasses of large mammals.
From Science Daily • Dec. 11, 2025
The avian influenza virus known as H5N1 has threatened U.S. poultry farms since 2022, after migratory waterfowl carried a new strain of the virus into North and South America.
From Barron's • Oct. 28, 2025
“Blake Edwards: A Love Story in 24 Frames” opens with Andrews describing the “silly but elegant” waterfowl sculpted by her late husband, and it is an apt symbol for him.
From Salon • Aug. 27, 2024
In summer they provide nesting areas for waterfowl, especially for two endangered species, the redhead and the ruddy duck.
From "Silent Spring" by Rachel Carson
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.
