*SET-U

English word origin

Etymology of ducks

See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.

5 source sectionsBrief source recordWiktionary original ↗
In this entry · 5 source sections

The source etymologies

Wiktionary via Kaikki / Wiktextract

The source reports below are imported and unreviewed by *SET-U. Separate numbered origins and differing source variants are preserved; agreement within this extraction is not independent corroboration.

Source etymology 1

Original entry ↗
noun

plural of duck

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

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Source etymology 2

Original entry ↗
noun

A pair of twos.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

From the shape of the numeral 2, looking like the profile of a duck.

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

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Source etymology 3

Original entry ↗
noun

Dear (used as a pet name).

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

Etymology tree English duck English -syclip. English -s English ducks From duck (“darling”) + -s (hypocoristic suffix).

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

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Source etymology 4

Original entry ↗
noun

The light trousers worn by sailors in hot climates.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

From duck (“tightly woven cotton fabric”).

Inspect preserved source fields

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Source etymology 5

Original entry ↗
verb

third-person singular simple present indicative of duck

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

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Where this record stops

This page does not supply an independently verified sound-change sequence, first-use manuscript or complete family tree unless a cited analysis explicitly establishes one. Missing detail here is a limit of this record—not a claim that humanity knows nothing more.

An older meaning does not determine what a word must mean today. Follow the sources, preserve disagreements, and keep ancestry separate from interpretation.

Contribute located evidence for ducks →

Source and snapshot

Imported from Wiktionary contributors; extracted by Tatu Ylonen / Wiktextract / Kaikki.org. Selected fields are reformatted and grouped; wording, source identity and etymology sections are retained. CC-BY-SA-4.0 applies to the imported source material.

Dump: 2026-10-01 · Extracted: 2026-10-30. These are snapshot dates, not the word’s first attestation or the page’s revision date.

Source entry and bibliography ↗Wiktionary revision history ↗Acquisition and rights ledger
Machine-source provenance
Source SHA-256
5ff2c072f8099f2d2ce484bd6957bf179f046d2ad37bc36555edf8bb84cb5291
Import run
73216b9a9b78ed3830994bf853103716f5a4dc57099e371e9f8fdc468facca26
Permanent entry ID
w-ZHVja3M