cygnet

American  

[sig-nit] / ˈsɪg nɪt /

noun

1. a young swan.

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cygnet British  

/ ˈsɪɡnɪt /

noun

1. a young swan

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Usage

What does cygnet mean? A cygnet is a young swan. The word cygnet is a general term for a young swan that’s used in the same way that the word duckling is used to refer to a young duck or the word gosling is used to refer to a young goose. There are several different kinds of swans, including the mute swan, trumpeter swan, tundra swan, and whooper swan. The young of any swan species can be called cygnets. Example: The ugly duckling in the fairy tale was actually a cygnet—ducklings don’t turn into swans, you know.

Etymology

Origin of cygnet

First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English signet, from Latin cygnus, variant of cycnus, from Greek kýknos “swan”; see -et

Explanation

Before they become graceful adults covered in their signature white feathers, swans start out as fluffy gray chicks called cygnets. When they hatch, cygnets are covered in soft, gray feathers, and rely heavily on their parents to protect them and teach them how to swim and find food. As they grow, they shed their downy feathers and develop the sleek, white plumage that swans are famous for. Considering this, it comes as no surprise that in literature cygnets often symbolize the adorably awkward period of childhood and adolescence that comes before maturity.

Example Sentences

While Cygnet will operate the facility, the Joan — located at what Bittner calls “the front door” to Liberty Station — is designed as a shared community space.

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 2, 2025

A spokesperson for Cygnet Healthcare said: "We have accepted the recommendations of today's report in full and are working to ensure all recommendations are fully implemented."

From BBC • Sep. 3, 2021

Sen. Lisa Murkowski, Alaska Republican, has a “very weak image with voters” according to a new Cygnet poll of 500 Alaska voters likely to vote in the 2022 midterm election.

From Washington Times • Apr. 5, 2021

James Brown, a third-generation pearl farmer who runs Cygnet Bay Pearls, a small Australian producer, recently began to bypass wholesalers and target wealthy jewelry buyers directly.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 12, 2016

Soon after, a malignant fever breaking out among the crews, many left the305 squadron and returned towards Panama, carrying back the Darien Indians, but leaving the Mosquito Indians in the Cygnet.

From The Monarchs of the Main, Volume II (of 3) Or, Adventures of the Buccaneers by Thornbury, Walter