goldeneye

noun

gold·​en·​eye ˈgōl-dən-ˌī How to pronounce goldeneye (audio)
1
: either of two diving ducks (genus Bucephala) with small yellow eyes
especially : a large-headed swift-flying Holarctic diving duck (B. clangula) with the male having a green head and striking black-and-white markings
2
: a lacewing (family Chrysopidae) with yellow eyes

Examples of goldeneye in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Monsoons bring out a yellow phase with goldeneye, golden crownbeard, yellow coreopsis, and sunflowers. Roger Naylor, The Arizona Republic, 24 Feb. 2024 Those wishing to target buffleheads, or for that matter, canvasbacks or goldeneyes, should set a handful of drake bufflehead decoys off to one side of the spread. M.d. Johnson, Field & Stream, 30 Nov. 2023 Summer brings out a range of hues with goldeneyes, pinedrops, lupines, yarrow, sunflowers and the exploded fireworks blooms of scarlet gilia. Roger Naylor, The Arizona Republic, 6 July 2023 Other highlights from the count, which covers town on both sides of the bay including Falmouth and Marion, included 3 redheads, a hybrid Barrow’s x common goldeneye, 350 American coots, an Eastern phoebe, several red crossbills, and 2 palm warblers. BostonGlobe.com, 28 Dec. 2022 Four black vultures in Deerfield, a Barrow’s goldeneye at at the Barton Cove campground, a rough-legged hawk and 40 snow buntings in Montague and 28 rusty blackbirds in Sunderland. Isabela Rocha, BostonGlobe.com, 11 Feb. 2023 Common goldeneye dive down the water column and gobble up all the pupae attached to microbialite structures. Leia Larsen, The Salt Lake Tribune, 8 Nov. 2022 Hampshire County: Observers spotted a gadwall in Ware, five green-winged teal in Hatfield, and a Barrow’s goldeneye on the south side of the Holyoke Dam. BostonGlobe.com, 29 Jan. 2022 Hampden County: The area hosted a Barrow’s goldeneye on the Connecticut River in Chicopee, lingers included a gray catbird at Laughing Brook Sanctuary and a yellow-bellied sapsucker in Springfield. BostonGlobe.com, 29 Jan. 2022

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'goldeneye.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1622, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of goldeneye was in 1622

Dictionary Entries Near goldeneye

Cite this Entry

“Goldeneye.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/goldeneye. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

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