duckling

noun

duck·​ling ˈdək-liŋ How to pronounce duckling (audio)
ˈdə-kliŋ
: a young duck

Examples of duckling in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
After they’re incubated and hatched, the ducklings are raised for about five weeks and released into the wild. — Ryan Brennan, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 18 Oct. 2026 On this rice farm, a successful season isn’t just measured in bags of grain but in the ducklings that get a safe start each spring, too. — Ryan Brennan, Miami Herald, 16 Oct. 2026 Customers can choose from Korean-style short ribs, beef shank, whole fish on ice, a variety of shellfish, goat meat, silkie chickens, squab, woodland duckling and specialty pork cuts. — Sara Rosenthal, Denver Post, 11 Oct. 2026 Additional video from a nearby business shows Antoine chasing ducklings, which police say were later found dead. — Ana Maria Soler, CBS News, 8 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for duckling

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of duckling was in the 15th century

Phrases Containing duckling

Rhymes for duckling

See All Rhymes for duckling

Browse Nearby Words

ducklet
duckling
duck malaria
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Duckling.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/duckling. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

duckling

noun
duck·​ling ˈdək-liŋ How to pronounce duckling (audio)
: a young duck
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of milieu

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Why do we 'bury the lede?'

'Za' and 9 Other Words to Help You Win at SCRABBLE
See More

Popular

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
different halloween monsters in silhouette
A Monstrous Vocab Quiz Words That Go Bump in the Night
See All