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

Long-term Radio 1 listeners will know Long Boi as a mallard duck from the University of York who became a social media sensation after appearing on James' show.

From BBC ● Jul. 8, 2026

A mother mallard with her six little ducklings.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 23, 2026

He paints a mallard for a competition to get on the 20-cent stamp.

From New York Times ● Dec. 19, 2023

“A year ago, the local population of mallard ducks was down 25% due to drought,” Coslovich said.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 1, 2023

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 Seattle Times ● Dec. 24, 2023

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

Penelope could imagine how a flock of mallards rising into the air would make that exact sound.

From "The Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place: Book I: The Mysterious Howling" by Maryrose Wood