Illustration of merganser
merganser
noun
mer·gan·ser
(ˌ)mər-ˈgan(t)-sər 
: any of various fish-eating diving ducks (especially genus Mergus) with a slender bill hooked at the end and serrated along the margins and usually a crested head see common merganser
Examples of merganser in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Several species including mallards, wood ducks, and mergansers can be spotted in the city's waterways year-round, according to Birding Around NYC.
—
Lydia Patrick, MSNBC Newsweek, 26 June 2025
Like the loons and pelicans, the mergansers and the buffleheads, which breed in northern Minnesota and Canada, among other places, are just passing through.
—Sheryl De Vore, Chicago Tribune, 1 Apr. 2025
Wild birds − including hooded mergansers in captivity and bald eagles in the wild − have also contracted bird flu across the state in the last year, according to USDA.
—Eduardo Cuevas, USA TODAY, 7 Feb. 2025
Some species, including wood ducks, buffleheads and mergansers, will stay in the forested areas of Wisconsin and Minnesota to nest in tree cavities.
—Journal Sentinel, 22 Apr. 2024
See All Example Sentences for merganser
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Lydia Patrick, MSNBC Newsweek, 26 June 2025
Like the loons and pelicans, the mergansers and the buffleheads, which breed in northern Minnesota and Canada, among other places, are just passing through.
—Sheryl De Vore, Chicago Tribune, 1 Apr. 2025
Wild birds − including hooded mergansers in captivity and bald eagles in the wild − have also contracted bird flu across the state in the last year, according to USDA.
—Eduardo Cuevas, USA TODAY, 7 Feb. 2025
Some species, including wood ducks, buffleheads and mergansers, will stay in the forested areas of Wisconsin and Minnesota to nest in tree cavities.
—Journal Sentinel, 22 Apr. 2024
See All Example Sentences for merganser
Cite this Entry
“Merganser.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/merganser. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
merganser
noun
mer·gan·ser
(ˌ)mər-ˈgan(t)-sər
plural mergansers or merganser
: any of various fish-eating wild ducks with a slender bill hooked at the end and usually with a bunch of feathers on the head that point backward
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share