gadwall

noun

gad·​wall ˈgad-ˌwȯl How to pronounce gadwall (audio)
plural gadwalls or gadwall
: a grayish-brown medium-sized dabbling duck (Anas strepera)

Examples of gadwall in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Nantucket: Twenty-seven gadwalls and three Northern shovelers in the Great Point Coskata-Coatue Wildlife Refuge. Isabela Rocha, BostonGlobe.com, 24 June 2023 Go with teal, wood ducks or gadwall. Joe Genzel, Outdoor Life, 5 Nov. 2020 Waterfowl sightings included a gadwall in West Springfield, three ring-necked ducks at Forest Park in Springfield, and three Northern pintails at the Longmeadow Flats in Longmeadow. BostonGlobe.com, 19 Feb. 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 Swans and 17 species of duck frequent Gillmor, which also provides nesting habitat for various shorebirds, such as the snowy plover, American avocet, Wilson’s phalarope, black-necked stilt, cinnamon teal and gadwall. Brian Maffly, The Salt Lake Tribune, 26 Dec. 2020 Some species like mallards get back to the prairie early as possible and (breed), while others like gadwall or blue-winged teal arrive up to a month later. Joe Genzel, Outdoor Life, 28 Aug. 2020 As cold snaps arrive, those early birds will move on and more migrating mallards, black ducks, and gadwall will show up, along with divers like scaup and canvasback, and dark geese, too. Joe Genzel, Outdoor Life, 26 June 2020 The company founders watched their buddy, who was a handloader, fold a gadwall at 80-plus yards with a single shot of TSS. Alex Robinson, Outdoor Life, 8 Jan. 2020

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

Word History

Etymology

of obscure origin

First Known Use

1666, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of gadwall was in 1666

Dictionary Entries Near gadwall

Cite this Entry

“Gadwall.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gadwall. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

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