duckling

IPA/ˈdʌklɪŋ/
KK[dˈʌklɪŋ]IPA/ˈdʌklɪŋ/

duckling — noun

  • ducklingsingular
  • ducklingsplural

1. a duck that is still very young, especially one that has only recently hatched

1.nounA2
Definition

a duck that is still very young, especially one that has only recently hatched

Example

Dario found a duckling sleeping under the wooden bench by the pond.

found a duckling by the pond

Aylin watched the duckling follow its mother across the muddy farmyard.

follow its mother

Common collocations
  • lost duckling
  • duckling follows its mother
  • wet duckling
Synonyms
  • chick

    more general and can mean the baby of many kinds of birds, not only ducks

Grammar Patterns

a duckling

ducklings

Usage Note

Usually countable. It is most often used when talking about a baby bird that has just hatched or is still staying close to its mother.

2. the meat of a very young duck, prepared and eaten as food

2.nounB1
Definition

the meat of a very young duck, prepared and eaten as food

Example

The chef served roast duckling with rice and spring vegetables.

collocation: roast duckling

Christopher ordered duckling because he wanted something richer than chicken.

Common collocations
  • roast duckling
  • order duckling
  • serve duckling

Grammar Patterns

eat duckling

serve duckling

Usage Note

Usually uncountable when naming the meat or a dish. Use this sense when the word refers to what people cook, serve, or eat, not to the living bird.

Common Mistakes

We ate duckling soup made from full-grown ducks.
We ate duck soup made from full-grown ducks.
'duckling' as food means meat from a young duck.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

'Duckling' is the specific word for a very young duck. 'Chick' is a broader word that people often use for baby birds in general, especially chickens, so it sounds less exact when the bird is clearly a duck. 'Gosling' refers to a young goose, not a young duck, even though the two birds may look similar to learners at first. If you see a small yellow bird following a mother duck across a pond, 'duckling' is the natural choice. If the bird is a baby goose on a riverbank, use 'gosling' instead. Use 'chick' when the exact kind of bird is unknown or does not matter.

duckling ↗chick ↗gosling

Etymology

Old EnglishMiddle EnglishEnglish

The word 'duckling' was formed by adding the ending '-ling' to 'duck'. In older English, this ending often meant something small or young. So 'duckling' literally means a little or young duck.