mallard

American  

[mal-erd] / ˈmæl ərd /

noun

• mallards,
  plural
• mallard
  plural

1. a common, almost cosmopolitan, wild duck, Anas platyrhynchos, from which the domestic ducks are descended.

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mallard British  

/ ˈmælɑːd /

noun

1. a duck, Anas platyrhynchos, common over most of the N hemisphere, the male of which has a dark green head and reddish-brown breast: the ancestor of all domestic breeds of duck

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• mallard
  plural
• mallards
  plural

Etymology

Origin of mallard

1275–1325; Middle English < Middle French, Old French mallart mallard drake, drake; see male, -ard

Compare meaning

How does mallard compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• Rouen vs. mallard

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

mallard mallards

A mother mallard with her six little ducklings.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 23, 2026

It’s to the Moscow mallard and her ducklings I head to find out what Russians think of America and of the US election.

From BBC ● Oct. 20, 2024

The injured mallard was first spotted March 25 in Newport Beach but flew away before anyone could capture it, officials have said.

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 28, 2023

It is a frustration to some scientists looking to catalog biodiversity that mallard ducks, monarch butterflies, white-tailed deer and other common species are the most frequently posted to the site.

From New York Times ● Dec. 9, 2022

The mallard toiled from land, against the wind.

From "The Once and Future King" by T. H. White

Little ramps along the reflecting pool help the mallards walk out.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 23, 2026

Third place went to Illumination and Universal’s “Migration,” a PG-rated animated adventure about a family of mallards traveling South.

From Washington Times ● Dec. 24, 2023

Waldenström’s team now equips black-headed gulls and mallards with transmitters that cellphone towers and satellites can track.

From Science Magazine ● Sep. 26, 2023

Typically, it takes about six months for mallards to pair up, build a nest, lay a clutch of nine to 12 eggs, and begin raising hatchlings.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 1, 2023

When he opened the door that morning Mackenzie had seen a flight of mallards going down in the direction of the small lake fed by the creek running through the farm.

From "The Incredible Journey" by Sheila Burnford