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

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

From BBC • Jul. 18, 2024

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

Their latest series, “Beaver McBeaver,” centers on a duckling who was adopted by a beaver and dreams of becoming a detective.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 20, 2023

The ugly duckling grows into a swan, Pinocchio becomes a boy.

From "Brown Girl Dreaming" by Jacqueline Woodson