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Webster 1913 Edition
Eider
Ei′der
,Noun.
[Of Scand. origin, cf. Icel
æ[GREEK]r
; akin to Sw. eider
, Dan. ederfugl
.] (Zoöl.)
Any species of sea duck of the genus
Somateria
, esp. Somateria mollissima
, which breeds in the northern parts of Europe and America, and lines its nest with fine down (taken from its own body) which is an article of commerce; – called also eider duck
. The American eider (S. Dresseri
), the king eider (S. spectabilis
), and the spectacled eider (Arctonetta Fischeri
) are related species. Eider down
. [Cf. Icel.
æðardūn
, Sw. eiderdūn
, Dan. ederduun
.] Down of the eider duck, much sought after as an article of luxury.