Main Difference
The main difference between Duck and Loon is that the Duck is a common name for many species in the bird family Anatidae which go QUAB and Loon is a genus of birds.
Duck vs. Loon
ADVERTISEMENT
-
Duck
Duck is the common name for a large number of species in the waterfowl family Anatidae, which also includes swans and geese. Ducks are divided among several subfamilies in the family Anatidae; they do not represent a monophyletic group (the group of all descendants of a single common ancestral species) but a form taxon, since swans and geese are not considered ducks. Ducks are mostly aquatic birds, mostly smaller than the swans and geese, and may be found in both fresh water and sea water.
Ducks are sometimes confused with several types of unrelated water birds with similar forms, such as loons or divers, grebes, gallinules, and coots.
-
Loon
The loons (North America) or divers (Great Britain/Ireland) are a group of aquatic birds found in many parts of North America and northern Eurasia. All living species of loons are members of the genus Gavia, family Gaviidae and order Gaviiformes.
Wikipedia
ADVERTISEMENT
Duck (verb)
To quickly lower the head or body in order to prevent it from being struck by something.
Duck (verb)
To quickly lower (the head) in order to prevent it from being struck by something.
Duck (verb)
To lower (something) into water; to thrust or plunge under liquid and suddenly withdraw.
Duck (verb)
To go under the surface of water and immediately reappear; to plunge one's head into water or other liquid.
Duck (verb)
To bow.
Duck (verb)
To evade doing something.
Duck (verb)
To lower the volume of (a sound) so that other sounds in the mix can be heard more clearly.
Duck (verb)
To enter a place for a short moment.
"I'm just going to duck into the loo for a minute, can you hold my bag?"
Duck (noun)
An aquatic bird of the family Anatidae, having a flat bill and webbed feet.
Duck (noun)
Specifically, an adult female duck; contrasted with drake and with duckling.
Duck (noun)
The flesh of a duck used as food.
Duck (noun)
A batsman's score of zero after getting out. (short for duck's egg, since the digit "0" is round like an egg.)
Duck (noun)
A playing card with the rank of two.
Duck (noun)
A partly-flooded cave passage with limited air space.
Duck (noun)
A building intentionally constructed in the shape of an everyday object to which it is related.
"A luncheonette in the shape of a coffee cup is particularly conspicuous, as is intended of an architectural duck or folly."
Duck (noun)
A shot at with another marble (the shooter) in children's games.
Duck (noun)
A cairn used to mark a trail.
Duck (noun)
One of the weights used to hold a spline in place for the purpose of drawing a curve.
Duck (noun)
A tightly-woven cotton fabric used as sailcloth.
Duck (noun)
Trousers made of such material.
Duck (noun)
A term of endearment; pet; darling.
"And hold-fast is the only dog, my duck (William Shakespeare - The Life of King Henry the Fifth, Act 2, Scene 3)."
Duck (noun)
Dear, mate (informal way of addressing a friend or stranger).
"Ay up duck, ow'a'tha?"
Loon (noun)
An idler, a lout.
Loon (noun)
A boy, a lad.
Loon (noun)
A harlot; mistress.
Loon (noun)
A simpleton.
Loon (noun)
A crazy or deranged person.
Loon (noun)
An English soldier of an expeditionary army in Ireland.
Loon (noun)
Any of various birds, of the order Gaviiformes, of North America and Europe that dive for fish and have a short tail, webbed feet and a yodeling cry.
Wiktionary
ADVERTISEMENT
Duck (noun)
a waterbird with a broad blunt bill, short legs, webbed feet, and a waddling gait.
Duck (noun)
a female duck.
Duck (noun)
a duck as food
"a tangy stew of duck, lamb, and sausage"
Duck (noun)
a pure white thin-shelled bivalve mollusc found off the Atlantic coasts of America.
Duck (noun)
an amphibious transport vehicle
"visitors can board an amphibious duck to explore the city"
Duck (noun)
a quick lowering of the head.
Duck (noun)
dear; darling (used as an informal or affectionate form of address, especially among cockneys)
"where've yer been, ducks!"
"it's time you changed, my duck"
Duck (noun)
a strong linen or cotton fabric, used chiefly for work clothes and sails
"cotton duck"
Duck (noun)
trousers made of duck.
Duck (noun)
a batsman's score of nought
"he was out for a duck"
Duck (verb)
lower the head or the body quickly to avoid a blow or missile or so as not to be seen
"spectators ducked for cover"
"he ducked his head and entered"
Duck (verb)
depart quickly
"I thought I saw you duck out"
Duck (verb)
avoid (a blow or missile) by moving quickly
"he ducked a punch from an angry first baseman"
Duck (verb)
evade or avoid (an unwelcome duty or undertaking)
"a responsibility which a less courageous man might well have ducked"
"I was engaged twice and ducked out both times"
Duck (verb)
push or plunge (someone) under water, either playfully or as a punishment
"Rufus grabbed him from behind to duck him under the surface"
Duck (verb)
refrain from playing a winning card on a particular trick for tactical reasons
"declarer ducked the opening spade lead"
Loon (noun)
a silly or foolish person
"if only she weren't such a lovesick loon"
Loon (noun)
a large diving waterbird with a sleek black or grey head, a straight pointed bill, and short legs set far back under the body; a diver.
Loon (verb)
act in a foolish or desultory way
"he decided to loon around London"
Oxford Dictionary
Duck (noun)
A pet; a darling.
Duck (noun)
A linen (or sometimes cotton) fabric, finer and lighter than canvas, - used for the lighter sails of vessels, the sacking of beds, and sometimes for men's clothing.
Duck (noun)
The light clothes worn by sailors in hot climates.
Duck (noun)
Any bird of the subfamily Anatinæ, family Anatidæ.
Duck (noun)
A sudden inclination of the bead or dropping of the person, resembling the motion of a duck in water.
Duck
To thrust or plunge under water or other liquid and suddenly withdraw.
Duck
To plunge the head of under water, immediately withdrawing it; as, duck the boy.
Duck
To bow; to bob down; to move quickly with a downward motion.
Duck (verb)
To go under the surface of water and immediately reappear; to dive; to plunge the head in water or other liquid; to dip.
Duck (verb)
To drop the head or person suddenly; to bow.
Loon (noun)
A sorry fellow; a worthless person; a rogue.
Loon (noun)
Any one of several aquatic, wed-footed, northern birds of the genus Urinator (formerly Colymbus), noted for their expertness in diving and swimming under water. The common loon, or great northern diver (Urinator imber, or Colymbus torquatus), and the red-throated loon or diver (Urinator septentrionalis), are the best known species. See Diver.
Webster Dictionary
Duck (noun)
small wild or domesticated web-footed broad-billed swimming bird usually having a depressed body and short legs
Duck (noun)
(cricket) a score of nothing by a batsman
Duck (noun)
flesh of a duck (domestic or wild)
Duck (noun)
a heavy cotton fabric of plain weave; used for clothing and tents
Duck (verb)
to move (the head or body) quickly downwards or away;
"Before he could duck, another stone struck him"
Duck (verb)
submerge or plunge suddenly
Duck (verb)
dip into a liquid;
"He dipped into the pool"
Duck (verb)
avoid or try to avoid fulfilling, answering, or performing (duties, questions, or issues);
"He dodged the issue"
"she skirted the problem"
"They tend to evade their responsibilities"
"he evaded the questions skillfully"
Loon (noun)
a worthless lazy fellow
Loon (noun)
large somewhat primitive fish-eating diving bird of the northern hemisphere having webbed feet placed far back; related to the grebes
Loon (noun)
a person with confused ideas; incapable of serious thought
Princeton's WordNet
Duck Illustrations
Loon Illustrations
