duckling

American  

[duhk-ling] / ˈdʌk lɪŋ /

noun

1. a young duck.

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duckling British  

/ ˈdʌklɪŋ /

noun

1. a young duck

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Etymology

Origin of duckling

First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English; see origin at duck ¹, -ling ¹

Explanation

A duckling is a baby duck. Ducklings usually learn to swim by following their mother to a body of water. Ducklings, like all birds, hatch from eggs that are typically laid in a nest. Soon after all the ducklings hatch, the mother duck leads them to water, where most kinds of ducks spend the greater parts of their lives. One of literature's most famous ducklings is the one in Hans Christian Andersen's "The Ugly Duckling" — although that duckling, in the end, turned out to be a swan.

Example Sentences

Clips of a duckling swimming in a bath or two happy pooches patrolling their neighbourhood are examples of the curated programming on "PetTV".

From Barron's • Apr. 3, 2026

After arriving, the band chatted to guests at the bar before eating a dinner of trout, turtle soup, cold duckling and steak tartare - a "rather rich selection", said Gail - in an upstairs room.

From BBC • Nov. 4, 2023

Despite being regarded as an ugly duckling by the foreign policy establishment, USIA-led public diplomacy efforts played a key role in achieving several important foreign policy objectives.

From Washington Post • Apr. 21, 2023

The fuzzy yellow duckling fit in the palm of her hand.

From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 22, 2022

“Let’s go over to the duckling statues,” I say.

From "Muffled" by Jennifer Gennari