A type of seabird or down feathers from seabirds, particularly used for filling pillows and quilts.
From 'hag' (meaning an old woman or hag-like creature) and 'down' (soft feathers). The term likely developed from Scandinavian languages where similar birds were called by related names, with 'down' referring to the valuable soft plumage.
Hagdown feathers were so prized in medieval Scotland and the North Sea region that they became a form of currency and trade commodity—whole industries developed around harvesting these precious feathers from nesting colonies.
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