waterfowl
|wa-ter-fowl|
🇺🇸
/ˈwɔtərfaʊl/
🇬🇧
/ˈwɔːtəfaʊl/
aquatic bird
Etymology
'waterfowl' originates from English, specifically the compound of the words 'water' and 'fowl', where 'water' meant 'water' and 'fowl' meant 'bird'.
'water' comes from Old English 'wæter' and 'fowl' comes from Old English 'fugol' (from Proto-Germanic *fugla-); these components combined in English to form the compound 'waterfowl'.
Initially, it meant 'a bird that frequents water', and over time it has retained that core meaning while also being used collectively for hunted species (wildfowl).
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
any bird that lives on or near water, especially ducks, geese, and swans.
A flock of waterfowl migrated south for the winter.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Last updated: 2025/08/22 02:43