sb. Forms: 6 wegyon, -ion, wygeon, wigion, 6–7 wigen, widgen, -in, 7 -ine, widg(e)ing, widgion, 6– wigeon, 7– widgeon. [Of difficult etymology.
The form suggests a French origin (cf. pigeon), but no appropriate Fr. forms are evidenced as early as the English word or with the required meaning; cf. vigeon a West Indian duck (1667 Du Tertre, Hist. Gén. des Antilles, II. 277), of which there is a nasalized form vingeon (1) widgeon in Eastern dial., (2) a duck of Madagascar (1771 Dict. de Trévoux); beside which there are gingeon ‘sorte de canard qu’on trouve dans les grandes Antilles’ (1832 Raymond, Dict. Gén.), and Angevin dial. digeon widgeon.
F. vigeon and It. bibbio wild duck have been referred to L. vīpio kind of crane, but this derivation is very dubious. The various extant forms suggest the possibility of a series of formations with suffix -io(nem) on parallel onomatopœic bases, piu-, biu-, viu-, diu-, giu- (cf. WHEW, WHEWER).]
1. A wild duck of the genus Mareca, esp. M. penelope of Europe and northern Asia; other species are M. americana of N. America and M. sibilatrix of southern S. America. (Collective pl. in later use usually widgeon: cf. teal.)
1513. Bk. Keruynge, in Babees Bk., 279. In the second course … chekyns, pygyons, teeles, wegyons, mallardes.
1544. Turner, Avium Præcip., C 5. Quum multæ sint aues aquaticæ anati similes, sed minores, ut sunt, telæ uocatæ ab Anglis Vuigene & pochardæ.
1591. Harington, Orl. Fur., Pref. At my Lord Maiors dinner they say he would put vp a widgen for his supper.
1604. E. G[rimstone], D’Acosta’s Hist. Indies, III. xvi. 170. Great numbers of wilde-duckes and wigens.
1655. Moufet & Bennet, Health’s Improv., xii. 107. Teals and Widgins … commonly … are very fat and sweet of taste.
1703. Dampier, Voy., III. 75. Wigeon and Teal also are said to be in great plenty here.
1774. Goldsm., Nat. Hist. (1776), VI. 139. The Lincolnshire decoys … principally contribute to supply the markets of London with wild-fowl. The number of ducks, wigeon, and teal, that are sent thither is amazing.
1788. Encycl. Brit., I. 662/1. The American wigeon … is rather bigger than our wigeon.
1877. Black, Green Past., xl. In this bountiful and beneficent land, flowing over with broiled bluefish, Carolina widgeon, [etc.].
1886. Payne-Gallwey, Bk. Duck Decoys, 17. A Decoy … by means of which wildfowl, such as Wigeon, Mallard and Teal, are caught alive.
1901. Shooting Times, 22 June, 21/2. On Lough Neagh, the wigeon is known as the ‘grass-wigeon’ or the ‘grass-duck.’ This may be due to its habit of feeding on the grassy sward along the shores.
b. Locally applied to various wild ducks of other genera: see quots.
1668. Charleton, Onomast., 99. Anas Fusca … the Red-headed Widgeon.
1676. Ray, Willughby’s Ornith., III. 288. The Pochard or great red-headed Wigeon.
1885. Swainson, Prov. Names Birds, 155. In Shropshire every species of wild duck, with the exception of Anas boscas, is called wigeon.
1898. Morris, Austral Engl., Widgeon, the common English name for a Duck of the genus Mareca, extended generally by sportsmen to any wild duck.
1901. Shooting Times, 22 June, 21/2. The pochard is distinguished by the name of the ‘red-headed wigeon’ or ‘stone wigeon.’
† 2. Applied to a person, in allusion to the supposed stupidity of the bird: A fool, simpleton, ninny. (Cf. goose, gull, etc.) Obs.
1612. Chapman, Widow’s T., II. i. E 3 b. Come y’ are a widgine.
1639. [J. Taylor (Water P.)], Divers Crabtree Lect., 122. I [said the Poulterer’s wife] call him Goose, and Widging, and Dotrell, and Woodcock.
1647. Lilly, Chr. Astrol., cxxviii. 584. The Native will prove a very Asse or Widgion.
1693. Humours Town, 93. ’Till the Widgeon is Caught, and his Pocket empty.
1741. Laval, Hist. Ref., IV. VIII. 985. Those poor silly Widgeons, which they could convert.
3. attrib. and Comb., as † widgeon-lord (see 2); widgeon-grass, -weed, local names for the grass-wrack, Zostera marina.
1621. Brathwait, Time’s Curtain drawn, G 3 b. Here lies a Widgin-lord, a foot-cloth Asse.
1878. Britten & Holland, Plant-n., Widgeon-grass. Zostera marina, L.
1912. ‘Guy Thorne,’ Great Acceptance, x. (ed. 6), 250. The whole of the ‘mud’ was covered with the marsh zostera, or widgeon-weed.
Hence † Widgeon v. trans. to make a ‘widgeon’ of, befool, cheat.
a. 1596. Sir T. More, I. ii. (Malone Soc.), 256. Let them gull me, widgen me, rooke me, foppe me.
