yearling

noun

year·​ling ˈyir-liŋ 

ˈyər-lən

: one that is a year old: such as

a

: an animal one year old or in the second year of its age

b

: a racehorse between January 1 of the year after the year in which it was foaled and the next January 1

yearling adjective

Examples of yearling in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Resolute Racing also stables Eclipse award winner Goodnight Olive, racehorse Just A Touch, and dozens more yearlings, foals and two year olds in training. —Olivia Evans, The Courier-Journal, 18 Aug. 2025

Along with the thousands of cows, the property is home to 180 bulls, 7,500 yearlings, and 130 saddle horses. —Tori Latham, Robb Report, 12 Aug. 2025

Clever Again is a $500,000 yearling purchase who has done little wrong in his three-race career. —Greg Rosenstein, NBC news, 18 May 2025

In two years’ time, their current crop of yearlings would race head-to-head as 3-year-olds. —Dana O'Neil, New York Times, 16 May 2025

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for yearling

• unfurling
• burling
• curling
• hurling
• pearling
• sperling
• sterling
• swirling
• twirling
• whirling

Kids Definition

yearling

noun

year·​ling ˈyi(ə)r-liŋ 

1

: one and especially an animal that is a year old or in the second year after birth

2

: a racehorse between January 1st of the year after the year in which it was born and the next January 1st

yearling adjective