Eiderdown
/ˈaɪ.dər.daʊn/noun
The soft insulating feathers from the breast of the eider duck, or an item filled with them.
Did you know?Eider ducks commonly line their nests with down plucked from their own breasts, and the down can be collected after the ducklings leave without killing the birds.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Germanic period
Proto-Germanic
*ēþrō
“The reconstructed Germanic source associated with the eider duck; its deeper origin is uncertain.”
Medieval period
Old Norse
æðr
“Eider duck.”
17th Century
Icelandic
æðardúnn
“Eider down; the soft feathers of the eider duck.”
17th Century
English
eider
“The eider duck, borrowed through North Atlantic usage.”
Old English period
Old English
dūne
“Down or soft feathers.”
18th Century
English
eider-down
“Down from the eider duck, later also bedding filled with it.”
Modern English
English
eiderdown
“Soft eider feathers or a quilt filled with them.”