Etymology

bufflehead

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Today it means: A duck in the goldeneye genus, Bucephala albeola. Full definition →

First used 1850s
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The story

Compound of buffle (“buffalo”) + head, so called for its large head.

First known use, by meaning

  • from 1850s A duck in the goldeneye genus, Bucephala albeola.
  • from 1650s One who has a large head; a heavy, stupid fellow.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.