yearling
Americannoun
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an animal in its second year.
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a horse one year old, dating from January 1 of the year after the year of foaling.
adjective
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being a year old.
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of a year's duration or standing.
a yearling bride.
noun
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the young of any of various animals, including the antelope and buffalo, between one and two years of age
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a thoroughbred racehorse counted for racing purposes as being one year old until the second Jan 1 following its birth
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a bond that is intended to mature after one year
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( as modifier )
yearling bonds
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adjective
Etymology
Origin of yearling
1425–75; late Middle English; see year, -ling 1; cognate with German Jährling
Explanation
A yearling is a young horse, older than a foal but not yet two years old. Yearlings are generally too young to ride. While the word yearling usually refers to a filly or a colt — a horse between the ages of one and two, of either sex — you can use it to talk about any animal of that age. It might sound a little funny, but go ahead and describe your one year old cat as a yearling. The word combines year, from the Old English gear, and the diminutive suffix -ling, which is often used in words describing young animals, like gosling and duckling.
Vocabulary lists containing yearling
War Horse
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Shout
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This Week In Culture: November 9–15, 2019
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Jacqui Short Boyce spotted the yearling lying on its back while passing by the field on Wednesday.
From BBC • Mar. 13, 2026
When Flag is on the verge of becoming a yearling, Jody’s father says, “He’ll be like a person standin’ on the state line.
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 23, 2026
Weighing about 100 pounds each, they might struggle to take down a yearling cow that’s pushing 1,000 pounds.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 21, 2025
Washington’s first known wolf death by cougars, in 2013, was an underweight yearling female traveling on a ridgeline in the Cascade Mountains.
From National Geographic • Aug. 25, 2023
They had been standing over the fire with a spitted pig, a yearling.
From "The Odyssey" by Homer
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
