Bombay duck

noun

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

Similar
bamalohbombilbumlabommelow
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Meanings

nounBombay duck (plural Bombay ducks)

plural Bombay ducks

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

    Synonyms: bamaloh, bombil, bumla, bommelow

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

    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.

    1872, Sir George Webbe Dasent, Three to One, page 42

Synonyms & antonyms

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

Similar
bamalohbombilbumlabommelow

Origin

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”).

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Italian bumalo
  • bumaloAn edible lizardfish, found around Mumbai
Japanese 手長水天狗
  • 手長水天狗 (tenaga mizutengu)An edible lizardfish, found around Mumbai
Polish bombajka, harpadon bombil
  • bombajkaAn edible lizardfish, found around Mumbai
  • harpadon bombilAn edible lizardfish, found around Mumbai
Welsh bymalo
  • bymaloAn edible lizardfish, found around Mumbai
Cite this entry
APA

Bombay duck. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Bombay%20duck

MLA

“Bombay duck.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Bombay%20duck. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “Bombay duck,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Bombay%20duck.

Source: Bombay duck on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.