smew

smew

S0494700 (smyo͞o)n. A small Eurasian diving duck (Mergellus albellus), the male of which has white and black plumage and a white crest.

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[Perhaps akin to earlier and dialectal English smee, any of various duck species; akin to German dialectal schmei-, schmü- (in Schmeiente, Schmünte, widgeon : schmei-, schmü- + German Ente, duck), and to Dutch smient.]

smew

(smjuː) n (Animals) a merganser, Mergus albellus, of N Europe and Asia, having a male plumage of white with black markings[C17: of uncertain origin]

smew

(smyu)

n. a Eurasian duck, Mergellus albellus, closely akin to mergansers. [1665–75; orig. uncertain]

Thesaurus

Noun

1.

smew - smallest merganser and most expert diver; found in northern EurasiaMergus albellusgenus Mergus, Mergus - mergansersfish duck, merganser, sawbill, sheldrake - large crested fish-eating diving duck having a slender hooked bill with serrated edges