mallard

noun

mal·​lard ˈma-lərd 

plural mallard or mallards

: a common and widely distributed wild duck (Anas platyrhynchos) of the northern hemisphere the males of which have a green head and white-ringed neck and which is the source of the domestic ducks

Illustration of mallard

Examples of mallard in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Over time, the pond filled with bass and bluegill and became a magnet for wildlife — blue herons, cranes, geese, mallards, and the kind of nighttime soundtrack that makes the place feel far removed from suburbia. —David Caraccio may 23, Sacbee.com, 23 May 2026

Earlier in 2026, a female mallard duck arrived at the courtyard of Prairie Trail School in Gurnee, Illinois, to lay and hatch her eggs. —Joyann Jeffrey, PEOPLE, 8 May 2026

For the sixth year in a row, a female mallard has chosen Central Connecticut State University as her nesting site. —Staff Report, Hartford Courant, 6 May 2026

The rescuers are seeing a lot of emaciated geese, swans, ducks, including mallards, and seabirds. —Jack Perry, The Providence Journal, 12 Feb. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Anglo-French mallart

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

mallard

noun

mal·​lard ˈmal-ərd 

plural mallard or mallards

: a common and widely distributed wild duck of the northern hemisphere the males of which have a green head and white ring around the neck and that is the source of the domestic ducks