widgeon

or wig·eon

[ wij-uhn ]

/ ˈwɪdʒ ən /

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noun, plural widg·eons, (especially collectively) widg·eon for 1.

any of several common freshwater ducks related to the mallards and teals in the genus Anas, having metallic green flight feathers, a white wing patch, and a buff or white forehead, including A. penelope of Eurasia and North Africa, A. sibilatrix of South America, and the baldpate, A. americana, of North America.

Obsolete. a fool.

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Origin of widgeon

First recorded in 1505–15; perhaps from an Anglo-French correspondent of French vigeon, from Vulgar Latin; compare Medieval Latin vipiō “kind of crane” (derivative of vip- imitative of a bird's cry)

Words nearby widgeon

wide-ranging, wide receiver, wide-screen, widespread, wide-spreading, widgeon, widget, widgie, widish, Widnes, widow

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use widgeon in a sentence

Widgeon may be cooked in as many ways as teal, using the same recipes, substituting widgeon for teal.
Dressed Game and Poultry la Mode|Harriet A. de Salis
We had scarcely gone a hundred yards ere a large widgeon rose from behind a bush, and Crusty, who was in advance, brought it down.
Hudson Bay|R.M. Ballantyne
The widgeon has observed him going down; and, calculating to a nicety the spot where he will reappear, seats himself in readiness.
The Hunters' Feast|Mayne Reid
The widgeon is one of the most common ducks of the Coast, both north and south.
Game Birds and Game Fishes of the Pacific Coast|Harry Thom Payne

The green-winged teal, like the widgeon, feeds a great deal on the plains and in the fields.
Game Birds and Game Fishes of the Pacific Coast|Harry Thom Payne

British Dictionary definitions for widgeon

widgeon

/ (ˈwɪdʒən) /

noun

a variant spelling of wigeon

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