Gweduc

/ɡwɪˈdʌk/ noun

Definition

An alternative or variant spelling of 'geoduck,' a type of large burrowing clam found on the Pacific coast of North America.

Etymology

Variant spelling of 'geoduck,' which comes from Lushootseed (a Native American language from the Pacific Northwest) 'gʷədə́q,' meaning 'dig deep.' Spanish colonists adapted it to their spelling, and English speakers created multiple variant spellings over time.

Kelly Says

Geoducks are absolutely bizarre clams—they can live over 100 years and have a siphon that sticks out of the sand so far it can't fit back into its shell! The indigenous Salish people have harvested them for thousands of years.

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