Duck, n.
 1. Zool. Any bird of the subfamily Anatinæ, family Anatidæ.
 Note: ☞ The genera and species are numerous. They are divided into river ducks and sea ducks. Among the former are the common domestic duck (Anas boschas); the wood duck (Aix sponsa); the beautiful mandarin duck of China (Dendronessa galeriliculata); the Muscovy duck, originally of South America (Cairina moschata). Among the sea ducks are the eider, canvasback, scoter, etc.
 2. A sudden inclination of the bead or dropping of the person, resembling the motion of a duck in water.
 Here be, without duck or nod,
 Other trippings to be trod.   --Milton.
 Bombay duck Zool., a fish. See Bummalo.
 Buffel duck, Spirit duck. See Buffel duck.
 Duck ant Zool., a species of white ant in Jamaica which builds large nests in trees.
 Duck barnacle. Zool. See Goose barnacle.
 Duck hawk. Zool. (a) In the United States: The peregrine falcon. (b) In England: The marsh harrier or moor buzzard.
 Duck mole Zool., a small aquatic mammal of Australia, having webbed feet and a bill resembling that of a duck (Ornithorhynchus anatinus). It belongs the subclass Monotremata and is remarkable for laying eggs like a bird or reptile; -- called also duckbill, platypus, mallangong, mullingong, tambreet, and water mole.
 To make ducks and drakes, to throw a flat stone obliquely, so as to make it rebound repeatedly from the surface of the water, raising a succession of jets; hence: To play at ducks and drakes, with property, to throw it away heedlessly or squander it foolishly and unprofitably.
 Lame duck. See under Lame.
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