Canvasback

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A large North American diving duck, the males having a whitish back and a reddish-brown head and neck with a sloping profile
2. A diving waterfowl of North America whose drake shows a pale grey back and a chestnut head with a long, sloping bill
3. The sturdy North American sea duck prized by hunters, recognized by its sloping forehead and light-colored plumage on the back

Etymology: The canvasback is a North American diving duck, and its name comes from a plain description of the bird's appearance. The male has a pale grey back and flanks with fine dark streaks that look like the weave of old sailcloth, and a back of that colour is what put the word "canvas" into its name. The second half, "back," simply names the feature that is being described. The word is a compound of "canvas" and "back", and it describes a bird rather than a fabric or a person. Hunters and naturalists in North America used this kind of descriptive pairing for many local birds, so the name reads at once to anyone who has seen the male's plumage.