sea drake

sea drake (plural sea drakes)

1. (fantasy) A sea dragon.
   • 1834 July, “The National Fairy Mythology of England”, in Fraser's Magazine for Town and Country, volume 10, page 53:

     When, after the death of the son, Beowulf and his companions pursued the mother into her retreat, they found the water full of sea-drakes and serpents (wyrm-cynnes fela), and nicers lying on the banks.

   • 2011, Jason Rice, ‎Brent Evanger, Kingdoms of Legend: Knights of France, page 23:

     Sea drakes are also known to travel up the Rhone river to spawn in Lake Geneva, creating a hazard for shipping.

   • 2020, Natalie Grey, Saira & the Dragon's Egg:

     The sea drake uncoiled from the palace as they approached .

   • 2024, Hagure Metabo, A Livid Lady's Guide to Getting Even:

     The monster, a subspecies of dragon, was a sea drake.

2. (UK) The pewit gull, or sea cormorant (Corvus marinus)
   • 2024, David Marcum, The MX Book of New Sherlock Holmes Stories - Part XLIV:

     The gardener found birds frozen to their branches, yet at the base of the same tree, a flock of sea-drakes and hens were perfectly unharmed!

3. (US) A male eider.
   • 1832, The New-England Magazine - Volume 2, page 103:

     Another of our regular visiters from the North is the EIDER DUCK , which furnishes the fine down that is so valuable an article of commerce. On our coast this bird is commonly known by the name of the SEA DRAKE.

   • 1862, Proceedings of the Academy of Natural Sciences, page 240:

     They are universally known as "Sea-ducks," the males being always distinguished as "Sea-drakes."

   • 1963, The Narragansett Naturalist - Volumes 6-9, page 5:

     That is why, when looking for the cock-a-wee, the harlequin, or any of the big sea drakes, I may sometimes, like Wordsworth, " Have glimpses that would make me less forlorn; Have sight of Proteus rising from the sea; Or hear old Triton blow his wreathed horn.