canvasback
noun
can·vas·back
ˈkan-vəs-ˌbak 
: a North American wild duck (Aythya valisineria) that has a reddish-brown head, black breast, and whitish body and is characterized especially by the elongate sloping profile of the bill and head
Examples of canvasback in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
But just like any other flight, hitting a good canvasback hunt all depends on timing.
—
Alex Robinson, Outdoor Life, 6 Aug. 2025
Like the hen redhead, the female canvasback is drab.
—M.d. Johnson, Field & Stream, 30 Nov. 2023
The daily bag limit in each zone can include no more than four mallards (of which two may be hens), three wood ducks, two canvasbacks, two redheads, two black ducks and one pintail.
—Paul A. Smith, Journal Sentinel, 22 Apr. 2023
Five Iceland gulls and a king eider at Black Rock Beach in Cohasset, a canvasback and three tree swallows at Beaver Pond in Franklin and a black vulture at Blue Hills Reservation.
—Isabela Rocha, BostonGlobe.com, 18 Mar. 2023
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Alex Robinson, Outdoor Life, 6 Aug. 2025
Like the hen redhead, the female canvasback is drab.
—M.d. Johnson, Field & Stream, 30 Nov. 2023
The daily bag limit in each zone can include no more than four mallards (of which two may be hens), three wood ducks, two canvasbacks, two redheads, two black ducks and one pintail.
—Paul A. Smith, Journal Sentinel, 22 Apr. 2023
Five Iceland gulls and a king eider at Black Rock Beach in Cohasset, a canvasback and three tree swallows at Beaver Pond in Franklin and a black vulture at Blue Hills Reservation.
—Isabela Rocha, BostonGlobe.com, 18 Mar. 2023
Cite this Entry
“Canvasback.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/canvasback. Accessed 25 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
canvasback
noun
can·vas·back
-ˌbak
: a North American wild duck with a reddish brown head and black breast
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