merganser Meaning, Definition & Usage

noun large crested fish-eating diving duck having a slender hooked bill with serrated edges
sawbill; sheldrake; fish duck.

Sp. mergánsar, fr. mergo a diver (L. mergus, fr. mergere to dip, dive) + ánsar goose, L. anser.

(Zoöl.) Any bird of the genus Merganser, and allied genera. They are allied to the ducks, but have a sharply serrated bill. ✍ The red-breasted merganser (Merganser serrator) inhabits both hemispheres. It is called also sawbill, harle, and sheldrake. The American merganser (M. Americanus.) and the hooded merganser (Lophodytes cucullatus) are well-known species. --