bombay ducks
Preserved but no longer current.
Meaning · English
In the East India Company’s army the Bombay regiments were so designated. The name is now given to a dried fish (bummelow), much eaten by natives and Europeans in Western India.—Anglo-Indian.
Era: ca. 1874 (Victorian)
Where it’s used:
Origin
British & Irish English
Sources & notes
Historical definition reproduced from Hotten’s The Slang Dictionary (1874, public domain; Project Gutenberg #42108, retrieved 2026-07-31). Reflects the attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “bombay ducks” mean?
In the East India Company’s army the Bombay regiments were so designated. The name is now given to a dried fish (bummelow), much eaten by natives and Europeans in Western India.—Anglo-Indian.
Is “bombay ducks” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.