Scoter

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ˈskəʊ.tə/

Definitions

1. A marine bird belonging to the duck family, known for its dark plumage and habit of diving underwater to feed on aquatic plants and small creatures
2. A type of diving duck that typically inhabits oceanic areas, noted for its distinct coloration and social nature within flocks during breeding seasons
3. A sea duck characterized by its mainly dark feathers and its ability to dive for food beneath water

Etymology: The scoter is a sea duck, and its name is one of the few English bird names whose origin scholars have never settled. Its first element may relate to "scot" or to an old word for a sea-going bird, but no explanation has been confirmed, so the name remains a puzzle rather than a story. What is clear is what the bird looks like and where it lives. Scoters are stocky, dark-plumaged ducks that spend the winter on coastal waters and gather in large flocks, often diving for mussels and other shellfish. The males are mostly black, sometimes with white or bright patches on the bill or wing, which is why the common name is so often applied to them as a group rather than to a single species.