Duck, n.
 1. Zool. Any bird of the subfamily Anatinæ, family Anatidæ.
 Note: ☞ The genera and species are numerous. They are divided into river ducks and sea ducks. Among the former are the common domestic duck (Anas boschas); the wood duck (Aix sponsa); the beautiful mandarin duck of China (Dendronessa galeriliculata); the Muscovy duck, originally of South America (Cairina moschata). Among the sea ducks are the eider, canvasback, scoter, etc.
 2. A sudden inclination of the bead or dropping of the person, resembling the motion of a duck in water.
 Here be, without duck or nod,
 Other trippings to be trod.   --Milton.
 Bombay duck Zool., a fish. See Bummalo.
 Buffel duck, Spirit duck. See Buffel duck.
 Duck ant Zool., a species of white ant in Jamaica which builds large nests in trees.
 Duck barnacle. Zool. See Goose barnacle.
 Duck hawk. Zool. (a) In the United States: The peregrine falcon. (b) In England: The marsh harrier or moor buzzard.
 Duck mole Zool., a small aquatic mammal of Australia, having webbed feet and a bill resembling that of a duck (Ornithorhynchus anatinus). It belongs the subclass Monotremata and is remarkable for laying eggs like a bird or reptile; -- called also duckbill, platypus, mallangong, mullingong, tambreet, and water mole.
 To make ducks and drakes, to throw a flat stone obliquely, so as to make it rebound repeatedly from the surface of the water, raising a succession of jets; hence: To play at ducks and drakes, with property, to throw it away heedlessly or squander it foolishly and unprofitably.
 Lame duck. See under Lame.

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 Goose n.; pl. Geese   Zool.
 1. Any large web-footen bird of the subfamily Anserinæ, and belonging to Anser, Branta, Chen, and several allied genera. See Anseres.
 Note: ☞ The common domestic goose is believed to have been derived from the European graylag goose (Anser anser). The bean goose (A. segetum), the American wild or Canada goose (Branta Canadensis), and the bernicle goose (Branta leucopsis) are well known species. The American white or snow geese and the blue goose belong to the genus Chen. See Bernicle, Emperor goose, under Emperor, Snow goose, Wild goose, Brant.
 2. Any large bird of other related families, resembling the common goose.
 Note: ☞ The Egyptian or fox goose (Alopochen Aegyptiaca) and the African spur-winged geese (Plectropterus) belong to the family Plectropteridæ. The Australian semipalmated goose (Anseranas semipalmata) and Cape Barren goose (Cereopsis Novæ-Hollandiæ) are very different from northern geese, and each is made the type of a distinct family. Both are domesticated in Australia.
 3. A tailor's smoothing iron, so called from its handle, which resembles the neck of a goose.
 4. A silly creature; a simpleton.
 5. A game played with counters on a board divided into compartments, in some of which a goose was depicted.
 The pictures placed for ornament and use,
 The twelve good rules, the royal game of goose.   --Goldsmith.
 A wild goose chase, an attempt to accomplish something impossible or unlikely of attainment.
 Fen goose. See under Fen.
 Goose barnacle Zool., any pedunculated barnacle of the genus Anatifa or Lepas; -- called also duck barnacle. See Barnacle, and Cirripedia.
 Goose cap, a silly person. [Obs.] --Beau. & .
 Goose corn Bot., a coarse kind of rush (Juncus squarrosus).
 Goose feast, Michaelmas. [Colloq. Eng.]
 Goose grass. Bot. (a) A plant of the genus Galium (G. Aparine), a favorite food of geese; -- called also catchweed and cleavers. (b) A species of knotgrass (Polygonum aviculare). (c) The annual spear grass (Poa annua).
 Goose neck, anything, as a rod of iron or a pipe, curved like the neck of a goose; specially Naut., an iron hook connecting a spar with a mast.
 Goose quill, a large feather or quill of a goose; also, a pen made from it.
 Goose skin. See Goose flesh, above.
 Goose tongue Bot., a composite plant (Achillea ptarmica), growing wild in the British islands.
 Sea goose. Zool. See Phalarope.
 Solan goose. Zool. See Gannet.

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