noun
- plural of bidarka; traditional Aleut kayaks made of seal or sea lion skin stretched over a wooden frame
Usage: nautical; historical
Examples
- The Aleut hunters paddled their bidarkas through the rough waters.
- Museum displays showed several well-preserved bidarkas from the 18th century.
- The bidarkas were essential for hunting sea otters in the Aleutian Islands.
- Traditional bidarkas could carry one or two people.
- Russian fur traders often used Aleut bidarkas for coastal exploration.
- The waterproof construction of bidarkas made them ideal for Arctic conditions.