geoduck

G2E1O1D2U1C3K5
UK/ˈɡuː.iˌdʌk/US/ˈɡu.iˌdək/

noun

The species of large saltwater clam Panopea generosa, native to the northeast Pacific coasts from Alaska to Washington State, distinguished by its deep burrowing and long unprotected siphon.

Similar
geoduck clamking clamelephant trunk clammirugaimirukuigai
UncommonScrabble 15

Meanings

noungeoduck (countable and uncountable, plural geoducks)

plural geoducks · alternative geoduc · alternative geoduk · alternative goeduck · alternative goeduc · alternative goeduk · alternative goeyduck · alternative goeyduc · alternative goeyduk · alternative gooeduck · alternative gooeduc · alternative gooeyduck · alternative gooeyduc · alternative gooeyduc · alternative gooiduck · alternative gooiduc

  1. countableuncountableThe species of large saltwater clam Panopea generosa, native to the northeast Pacific coasts from Alaska to Washington State, distinguished by its deep burrowing and long unprotected siphon.

    I survey the ice-lined crates containing sea snails, rock cod, sea urchin and a Vancouver favorite, geoduck (pronounced gooey-duck)—a giant clam.

    2004 April, Smithsonian, page 92
    1 more example

    Glycimeris generosa. Olympia, Washington Territory... The boys at Olympia call them ‘Geoducks’; they dig them on a certain sand bar at extreme low tide, and sell them to a merchant who ships them to Portland, Oreg... The boys inform me that the Indians on the Sound... dry them for food with the other clams.

    1881, H. Hemphill, letter in the Bulletin of the US Fishing Commission, No. 1, p. 21
    1. uncountableits flesh as a seafood.
  2. New ZealandcountableuncountableOther species of Panopea, especially Panopea zelandica, native to the coasts of New Zealand.

    Alick Shaw... uses up to 14 kilograms of geoduck in chowder weekly...

    1989 November 6, Listener, page 33

Synonyms & antonyms

Similar
geoduck clamking clamelephant trunk clammirugaimirukuigai

Origin

  1. Lushootseedgʷidəq
  2. Englishgeoduck

From Lushootseed gʷidəq, variously understood as reference to its deep digging or resemblance to male genitalia. The unusual spelling of the first syllable is thought to represent editorial hypercorrection of forms with goe- &c. (probably under influence from the common prefix geo-), despite the earlier attestation of forms with geo-. The spelling pronunciation /ˈdʒiːəʊdʌk/ once listed in dictionaries is now considered nonstandard. The common spelling of the second syllable is under influence from duck, originally with reference to the mollusc's resemblance to the body and neck of a dead duck.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Chinese Cantonese 象拔蚌
  • 象拔蚌 (zoeng⁶ bat⁶ pong⁵)P. generosa
Chinese Mandarin 象拔蚌, 太平洋潛泥蛤 /太平洋潜泥蛤
  • 象拔蚌 (xiàngbábàng)P. generosa
  • 太平洋潛泥蛤 /太平洋潜泥蛤 (Tàipíng Yáng qiánnígé)P. generosa
  • 皇帝蚌 (huángdìbàng)P. generosa
  • 女神蛤 (nǚshéngé)P. generosa
Finnish geoduck
  • geoduckP. generosa
French geoduck
  • geoduckP. generosa
German Elefantenrüsselmuschel
  • ElefantenrüsselmuschelP. generosa
Hungarian falloszkagyló, iszapkagyló
  • falloszkagylóP. generosa
  • iszapkagylóP. generosa
Indonesian kerang gajah
  • kerang gajahP. generosa
Japanese アメリカナミガイ
  • アメリカナミガイ (amerikanamigai)P. generosa
Korean 코끼리조개
  • 코끼리조개 (kokkirijogae)P. generosa
Malay siput belalai, siput belalai gajah
  • siput belalaiP. generosa
  • siput belalai gajahP. generosa
Māori hoehoe, hohehohe
  • hoehoeP. generosa
  • hohehoheP. generosa
Portuguese amêijoa-gigante
  • amêijoa-giganteP. generosa
Russian гуида́к
  • гуида́к (guidák)P. generosa
Spanish geoduck
  • geoduckP. generosa

Rhymes & wordplay

Rhymes with geoduck

All rhymes →
Cite this entry
APA

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

MLA

“geoduck.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/geoduck. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “geoduck,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/geoduck.

Source: geoduck on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.