geoduck

Valid in Scrabble

Scrabble points
15
Words With Friends
18
Letters
7
Pronunciation
/ˈɡuː.iˌdʌk/(UK)
See all 2 pronunciations
/ˈɡuː.iˌdʌk/(UK) · /ˈɡu.iˌdək/(US)

Definition of geoduck

3 senses · 1 part of speech · etymology included

noun

  1. (countable, uncountable)The species of large saltwater clam Panopea generosa, native to the northeast Pacific coasts from Alaska to Washington State, distinguished by its deep burrowing and long unprotected siphon.
    “Glycimeris generosa. Olympia, Washington Territory... The boys at Olympia call them ‘Geoducks’; they dig them on a certain sand bar at extreme low tide, and sell them to a merchant who ships them to Portland, Oreg... The boys inform me that the Indians on the Sound... dry them for food with the other clams.”
    “I survey the ice-lined crates containing sea snails, rock cod, sea urchin and a Vancouver favorite, geoduck (pronounced gooey-duck)—a giant clam.”
See all 3 definitions

noun

  1. (countable, uncountable)The species of large saltwater clam Panopea generosa, native to the northeast Pacific coasts from Alaska to Washington State, distinguished by its deep burrowing and long unprotected siphon.
    “Glycimeris generosa. Olympia, Washington Territory... The boys at Olympia call them ‘Geoducks’; they dig them on a certain sand bar at extreme low tide, and sell them to a merchant who ships them to Portland, Oreg... The boys inform me that the Indians on the Sound... dry them for food with the other clams.”
    “I survey the ice-lined crates containing sea snails, rock cod, sea urchin and a Vancouver favorite, geoduck (pronounced gooey-duck)—a giant clam.”
  2. (uncountable)The species of large saltwater clam Panopea generosa, native to the northeast Pacific coasts from Alaska to Washington State, distinguished by its deep burrowing and long unprotected siphon.
  3. (New-Zealand, countable, uncountable)Other species of Panopea, especially Panopea zelandica, native to the coasts of New Zealand.
    “Alick Shaw... uses up to 14 kilograms of geoduck in chowder weekly...”

Definitions from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA.

Etymology

From Lushootseed gʷidəq, variously understood as reference to its deep digging or resemblance to male genitalia. The unusual spelling of the first syllable is thought to represent editorial hypercorrection of…

See full etymology

From Lushootseed gʷidəq, variously understood as reference to its deep digging or resemblance to male genitalia. The unusual spelling of the first syllable is thought to represent editorial hypercorrection of forms with goe- &c. (probably under influence from the common prefix geo-), despite the earlier attestation of forms with geo-. The spelling pronunciation /ˈdʒiːəʊdʌk/ once listed in dictionaries is now considered nonstandard. The common spelling of the second syllable is under influence from duck, originally with reference to the mollusc's resemblance to the body and neck of a dead duck.

Anagrams of geoduck

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