Bombay duck en · NOUN
Etymology
Uncertain. The first component may be a modification of Marathi बोंबील (bombīl), the local Marathi name for the fish. The second has been dubiously associated by folk etymology with dak (“Indian postal system”).
Meanings
- An edible lizardfish, Harpadon nehereus, found in the waters around Mumbai
-
(India, historical, slang) A member of the Bombay regiments of the East India Company's army.
For her sake he recounted his Indian experiences — told of his arrival in India; […] of the Bombay Ducks, that celebrated European regiment, of whom every man could drink a quart of rum a day, and fight a pitched battle if need were.
1872, Sir George Webbe Dasent, Three to One, page 42:
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bombay ducks | Number=Plur | lexicographic |
Synonyms
bommelow (Harpadon nehereus) · bumla (Harpadon nehereus) · bamaloh (Harpadon nehereus) · bombil (Harpadon nehereus)
Translations (7)
cy bymalo (An edible lizardfish, found around Mumbai) · ja 手長水天狗 (An edible lizardfish, found around Mumbai) · it bumalo (An edible lizardfish, found around Mumbai) · mr बोंबील (An edible lizardfish, found around Mumbai) · pl bombajka (An edible lizardfish, found around Mumbai) · pl harpadon bombil (An edible lizardfish, found around Mumbai) · my အာပဲ့ခြောက် (An edible lizardfish, found around Mumbai)