scoter
noun
sco·ter ˈskō-tər 
plural scoters or scoter
: any of a genus (Melanitta) of sea ducks of chiefly coastal Eurasia, Canada, and the U.S. that have males with chiefly black plumage
Example Sentences
Recent Examples on the Web Seeing the scoter in person ignited a fascination within Ms. Adams. 
Susan Cosier, WSJ, 29 July 2022 The survey extends into the waters off San Diego’s coastline where teams spotted an abundance of surf scoter sea ducks and black brant geese, as is often case. Jennifer Van Grove, San Diego Union-Tribune, 18 Dec. 2021 In the region, a black scoter and a sanderling were in Northfield, and two dickcissels were found in Deerfield. BostonGlobe.com, 2 Oct. 2021 There were reports of 120 white-winged scoters, five Western sandpipers, three American golden-plovers, three black skimmers, and three merlins. BostonGlobe.com, 23 Sep. 2019 Marine birds also included mallards, common scoters (a large sea duck), geese, cormorants, gannets, shags, auks, egrets and loons. Ashley Strickland, CNN, 26 Mar. 2020 There was one lesser scaup at Horn Pond in Woburn, and a surf scoter at the Amelia Earhart Dam in Everett. BostonGlobe.com, 16 Feb. 2020 Also at the Stockbridge bowl, there was a white-winged scoter and a red-necked grebe. BostonGlobe.com, 16 Dec. 2019 At Gooseberry Neck, there were 84 black scoters, three ruddy turnstones, three roseate terns, a great shearwater, a Northern gannet, two cliff swallows, and two orchard orioles. BostonGlobe.com, 30 June 2019 See More
Susan Cosier, WSJ, 29 July 2022 The survey extends into the waters off San Diego’s coastline where teams spotted an abundance of surf scoter sea ducks and black brant geese, as is often case. Jennifer Van Grove, San Diego Union-Tribune, 18 Dec. 2021 In the region, a black scoter and a sanderling were in Northfield, and two dickcissels were found in Deerfield. BostonGlobe.com, 2 Oct. 2021 There were reports of 120 white-winged scoters, five Western sandpipers, three American golden-plovers, three black skimmers, and three merlins. BostonGlobe.com, 23 Sep. 2019 Marine birds also included mallards, common scoters (a large sea duck), geese, cormorants, gannets, shags, auks, egrets and loons. Ashley Strickland, CNN, 26 Mar. 2020 There was one lesser scaup at Horn Pond in Woburn, and a surf scoter at the Amelia Earhart Dam in Everett. BostonGlobe.com, 16 Feb. 2020 Also at the Stockbridge bowl, there was a white-winged scoter and a red-necked grebe. BostonGlobe.com, 16 Dec. 2019 At Gooseberry Neck, there were 84 black scoters, three ruddy turnstones, three roseate terns, a great shearwater, a Northern gannet, two cliff swallows, and two orchard orioles. BostonGlobe.com, 30 June 2019 See More Word History
Etymology
origin unknown
First Known Use
circa 1674, in the meaning defined above