mallards
|mal-lard|
🇺🇸
/ˈmælɚd/
🇬🇧
/ˈmæləd/
(mallard)
wild duck
Etymology
'mallard' originates from Middle English, specifically the word 'mallard', and is ultimately attested in Old French ('malart' or 'malard'), where it was used for a drake (male duck).
'mallard' changed from Old French 'malart'/'malard' into Middle English 'mallard' and eventually became the modern English word 'mallard'.
Initially, it meant 'drake' (male duck), but over time it evolved to refer to the species as a whole (the wild duck Anas platyrhynchos).
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
plural form of 'mallard': the common wild duck (Anas platyrhynchos), often seen in parks and ponds; males typically have a glossy green head.
Mallards are common in urban parks and ponds.
Synonyms
Noun 2
(archaic/historical) Plural of 'mallard' used to mean male ducks or drakes.
In older texts, mallards sometimes refers specifically to male ducks.
Synonyms
Last updated: 2025/10/03 21:31