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
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Then there’s the hooded merganser, which, despite its fairy-tale appearance, is one of the more common ducks along the Front Range in winter.
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Jonathan Shikes, Denver Post, 26 Jan. 2026
On a warm September Sunday, just an hour and a half from Boston, there were no other people in the water, just quacking mergansers, laughing gulls, pearly oyster shells within arm’s reach, and a wondrous sense of peace.
—Lauren Matison, Travel + Leisure, 1 Nov. 2025
Duck, coot, merganser: Nov. 22-Dec. 1, Dec. 10-23, Dec. 27-Jan. 1 statewide.
—Arkansas Online, 26 Aug. 2025
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
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Jonathan Shikes, Denver Post, 26 Jan. 2026
On a warm September Sunday, just an hour and a half from Boston, there were no other people in the water, just quacking mergansers, laughing gulls, pearly oyster shells within arm’s reach, and a wondrous sense of peace.
—Lauren Matison, Travel + Leisure, 1 Nov. 2025
Duck, coot, merganser: Nov. 22-Dec. 1, Dec. 10-23, Dec. 27-Jan. 1 statewide.
—Arkansas Online, 26 Aug. 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for merganser
Cite this Entry
“Merganser.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/merganser. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
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
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