French Conversation · Level 113
59 words
French word
milouin
Pronunciation
IPA/milwɛ̃/
Meaning
- masculine nounpochard
Example
J'ai vu un milouin sur l'étang ce matin.
I saw a pochard on the pond this morning.
More examples
Regarde ce milouin qui plonge pour chercher de la nourriture.
Look at this pochard diving in search of food.
Core concept
A pond duck that gathers with others and dips among aquatic plants near muddy shores.
Similar words
canard: A water bird that swims and commonly feeds along the water's edge.
colvert: A duck often seen in park ponds, with males that commonly have greenish heads.
Definition in French
Canard d'eau de taille moyenne de la famille des anatidés, qui se nourrit principalement de plantes aquatiques et se rencontre souvent en groupes sur les étangs et les vasières.
Word origin
French milouin has an uncertain historical origin and cannot be reliably explained by a transparent modern French compound.
Usage tips
- Milouin identifies a particular duck species and is chiefly useful in birding and other wildlife contexts, while ordinary speech often uses un canard when the species is irrelevant.