duckling

Everyday

1. A duckling is a baby duck. tree →
2. In stories, an «ugly duckling» is someone who seems plain or awkward at first but grows up to be beautiful or great. tree →

In the lessons

In science lessons on life cycles, ducklings hatch from eggs, follow their mother and grow feathers; in stories like «The Ugly Duckling» the word carries the idea of growing up and changing. Phrases: «a mother duck and her ducklings», «fluffy ducklings», «an ugly duckling».

Examples

• Five fluffy ducklings followed their mother to the pond. tree →
• The duckling hatched from its egg this morning. tree →
• Ducklings can swim soon after they hatch. tree →
• We watched the ducklings cross the road safely. tree →
• In «The Ugly Duckling», the duckling grows into a swan. tree →
• Don't feed the ducklings bread; it is bad for them. tree →
• If there were 7 ducklings and 2 waddled away, 5 were left. tree →
• "You don't understand me," said the duckling. tree →

Note

Countable. The «-ling» ending means small or young, as in «gosling» (a young goose). A duckling is the young; «drake» is a male duck. Bread is not good food for ducks and ducklings.