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Word of the Day – Friday, May 27th

 


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EIDER (EYE-duhr)

Any of several large northern sea ducks having fine soft down

Common clues: Duck down; Duck with soft down, Type of duck; Pillow stuffing; Sea duck; Where to get down; It might get you down; Black and white duck

Crossword puzzle frequency: 3 times a year

Frequency in English language: 37776 / 86800

News: Birds Dumping Eggs on the Neighbors

Video: Eider duck eats green crab


The Common Eider (Somateria mollissima) is a large sea-duck, which is distributed over the northern coasts of Europe, North America and eastern Siberia. It breeds in Arctic and some northern temperate regions, but winters somewhat farther south in temperate zones, when it can form large flocks on coastal waters.



The eider's nest is built close to the sea and is lined with the celebrated eiderdown, plucked from the female's breast. This soft and warm lining has long been harvested for filling pillows and quilts, but in more recent years has been largely replaced by down from domestic farm-geese and synthetic alternatives. Nonetheless, eiderdown harvesting continues and is sustainable, as it can be done after the ducklings leave the nest with no harm to the birds.


The Common Eider is characterized by its bulky shape and large wedge-shaped bill. The male is unmistakable with its black and white plumage and green nape. The female is a brown bird, but can still be readily distinguished from all ducks, except other eider-species, on the basis of size and head shape. This duck's call is a pleasant "ah-ooo", described as being "like a bunch of gossipy old women, expressing surprise". The species is often readily approachable.


This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Common Eider"


EIDER (167) 29 Tu+ >1 07 Duck down

15 Tu >1 98 Down source GOOSE

12 Tu- >1 08 Downy duck

10 We- >1 05 Sea duck

9 Th >1 08 Where to get down GEESE

7 We- >1 05 Kind of down

6 Th+ >1 01 Quilt filler

5 Th- >1 05 Pillow filler

4 Tu- LAT 09 Down-yielding duck

4 Tu- >1 04 Large sea duck

3 Tu+ >1 09 Comforter stuffing

3 We+ >1 08 Down provider GOOSE

3 Tu >1 94 Downy bird

04 Duck AVERT AVOID DODGE ELUDE EVADE

2 Tu- >1 01 Black and white duck

2 >1 06 Duck with soft down

2 Th WSJ 03 It might get you down

2 Th NYT 07 Quilt stuffing BATTS

07 Soft down

2 Tu >1 04 Source of down

2 We >1 00 Where to get down? GEESE

04 You can get down from it?

1 Th NYT 87 A duck

00 Bed down

99 Bedding down