Eider

Pronunciation

• IPA: /ˈaɪdÉ™/

Origin

From Icelandic æðar, genitive of æðr, probably reaching English via Swedish eider (now ejder), from a North Germanic root.

Full definition of eider

Noun

1. Any of the species of the genera Polysticta or Somateria, in the seaduck subfamily Merginae, which line their nests with fine down (taken from their own bodies).

Derived terms

• eiderdown
• common eider, Somateria mollissima
• king eider, Somateria spectabilis
• spectacled eider, Somateria fischeri
• Steller's eider, Polysticta stelleri