duckling

American  

[duhk-ling] / ˈdʌk lɪŋ /

noun

1. a young duck.

---

duckling British  

/ ˈdʌklɪŋ /

noun

1. a young duck

---

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

In fact, Callas made herself out of what she considered to be an ugly duckling.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 14, 2024

"It is an incredibly difficult thing to go from turning that person from an ugly duckling into a swan."

From BBC • Jul. 18, 2024

The bewitchingly fragrant fruit — a relative of apples and pears — does go through an ugly duckling phase, Walden acknowledges.

From Seattle Times • Oct. 31, 2023

While we were working on a project, Luke would follow Grandpa around like a baby duckling behind its mother.

From "Three Little Words: A Memoir" by Ashley Rhodes-Courter