noun
teal
A small freshwater duck.
A teal swims across the pond near the tall reeds.
Etymology
The Middle English bird-name survives in the modern word. Its deeper ancestry is uncertain, but the waterbird sense is the older familiar use.
More examples
- Several teal feed in the shallow water along the shore.
- We watch a pair of teal take off from the marsh.
- The bird guide helps us distinguish teal from larger ducks.
Forms
teal · teals
Similar words
- duck
- A broader term that includes teal and many larger species.