Definition

1. Noun:
   • The down (soft feathers) of the eider duck: The fine, soft, and warm underfeathers from the eider, a type of sea duck.
   • A soft quilt or duvet filled with this down (or similar material): A type of warm bed covering, traditionally stuffed with eider down but now often with synthetic substitutes.

Examples

• Noun:
  • The eiderdown from these ducks is highly prized for its exceptional insulation.
  • She pulled the fluffy eiderdown up to her chin to keep warm.

Advanced Usage

• "An eiderdown of snow": A literary metaphor describing a soft, thick, and smooth covering of snow.
  • The village slept under a silent eiderdown of snow.

Variants and Related Words

• Eider (n): The type of sea duck from which the down is collected.
• Down (n): Soft, fine feathers from any bird, used for insulation.
• Duvet (n): A synonym for a soft quilt, often used interchangeably with "eiderdown" in modern English, though not necessarily filled with eider down.

Synonyms

• Duvet: A soft quilt.
• Comforter: (US English) A thick, warm bed covering.
• Quilt: A bed cover made of two layers of fabric filled with padding.

Idioms

(This word is not commonly used in idiomatic expressions.)

Noun

1. down of the eider duck
2. a soft quilt usually filled with the down of the eider