widgeon

or wig·eon

[ wij-uhn ]

/ ˈwɪdʒ ən /

Save This Word!

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.

QUIZ

ARE YOU A TRUE BLUE CHAMPION OF THESE "BLUE" SYNONYMS?

We could talk until we're blue in the face about this quiz on words for the color "blue," but we think you should take the quiz and find out if you're a whiz at these colorful terms.

Question 1 of 8

Which of the following words describes “sky blue”?

navy

beryl

azure

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Meet Grammar Coach

Write or paste your essay, email, or story into Grammar Coach and get grammar help

Improve Your Writing

Meet Grammar CoachImprove Your Writing

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

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