Standard Lemma guide

smew

noun · 2 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • /ˈsmjuː/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • rhymes with -uː

1

noun

Meaning 1

A small compact diving duck, Mergellus albellus, that breeds in the northern taiga of Europe and Asia and winters on sheltered coasts or inland lakes.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

smallest merganser and most expert diver; found in northern Eurasia

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: Mergus albellus

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: merganser, fish duck, sawbill, sheldrake

History

Etymology

Origin unknown. In use since the 17th century.

Across languages

Translations

24 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Bulgarian: малък нирец (malǎk nirec) — Mergus albellus
  • Czech: morčák malý — Mergus albellus
  • Dutch: nonnetje — Mergus albellus
  • Finnish: uivelo — Mergus albellus
  • French: harle piette — Mergus albellus
  • German: Zwergsäger — Mergus albellus
  • Hungarian: kis bukó — Mergus albellus
  • Italian: pesciaiola — Mergus albellus
  • Korean: 흰비오리 (huinbiori) — Mergus albellus
  • Maltese: serra bajda — Mergus albellus
  • Manx: caillagh vane — Mergus albellus
  • Norwegian: lappfiskand — Mergus albellus
  • Romanian: ferestraș mic — Mergus albellus
  • Russian: луто́к (lutók) — Mergus albellus
  • Inari-Sami: njunjálâh — Mergus albellus
  • Inari-Sami: vuággukuálsâš — Mergus albellus
  • Lule-Sami: guorgojgoalsse — Mergus albellus
  • Northern Sami: gárggogoalsi — Mergus albellus
  • Northern Sami: njunjálat — Mergus albellus
  • Skolt-Sami: njuuˈnnjel — Mergus albellus
  • Swedish: salskrake — Mergus albellus
  • Turkish: sütlabi — Mergus albellus
  • Udmurt: куарӵӧж (kuarčöž) — Mergus albellus
  • Venetan: servoła — Mergus albellus