mallard

American  

[mal-erd] / ˈmæl ərd /

noun

plural

mallards,

plural

mallard

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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Etymology

Origin of mallard

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

Compare meaning

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

• Rouen vs. mallard

Example Sentences

It lists the dinner - including oysters, beef, spring lamb and mallard duck - served on the evening of 11 April 1912.

From BBC • Nov. 12, 2023

The father and daughter were able to occupy the mallard by feeding it until animal control officials arrived and transported it to the wildlife care center.

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

A good example of this is the mallard, one of the most common ducks in the world.

From Washington Post • Nov. 14, 2022

Then he discovered that if he hatched mallard duck eggs, the ducklings refused to follow him.

From "My Life with the Chimpanzees" by Jane Goodall