Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

bombay duck

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: 3.54 in modern English

Syllables: bom-bay -duck
IPA

26

Scrabble Score

10

Letters

3

Syllables

9

Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

An edible lizardfish, Harpadon nehereus, found in the waters around Mumbai

noun

A member of the Bombay regiments of the East India Company's army.

Indian usage; Slang

Example Sentences

"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."

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”).

Usage

Indian usage
Slang

Inflected Forms

Bombay ducks (plural)

Synonyms

bamaloh bombil bumla bommelow

Questions

What does bombay duck mean?: An edible lizardfish, Harpadon nehereus, found in the waters around Mumbai
Where does bombay duck come from?: 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”).

How to pronounce bombay duck

Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “bombay duck”.
Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling () so you know which sounds to aim for.
Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “bombay duck”.
Repeat and practice — Say “bombay duck” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.