Anatine

Part of speech: adjective

Pronunciation: /ˈa.nə.tʌɪn/

Definitions

1. Relating to or resembling ducks in appearance, behavior, or characteristics
2. Describing characteristics or traits that are typical of ducks, especially in physical appearance or behavior
3. Pertaining to qualities or features that are reminiscent of ducks, including their looks and behaviors

Etymology: "Anatine" is a straightforward formation: it comes from Latin "anatinus," meaning "of a duck," built from "anas" (genitive "anatis"), the ordinary Latin word for duck, plus the adjective-forming suffix "-inus," which gives English the "-ine" ending found in words like "bovine" and "canine." The Latin stem "anat-" is simply "anas" with the ending of its oblique cases, so the word is a duck word wearing a regular adjectival coat. English uses it as a technical and descriptive term, chiefly in zoology and in ordinary speech when someone wants to describe something with a duck's appearance or manner. Its sister word in the same family is "anatomy" only in the sense of a shared Latin word for a duck appearing in other technical coinages, though "anatomy" itself comes from a different Greek source, so the resemblance is coincidental rather than a shared root.

Synonyms: duck-like, duckish