suckling
Suckling (noun) means a baby or young animal that is still feeding on its mother's milk. Example: “The farmer kept the sucklings and their mothers in a separate pen.”
How to use suckling
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA baby or baby animal that hasn't been weaned yet.
Word forms
- Plural
- sucklings
Fill the gap
Can you complete this real example?
The farmer kept the _____ and their mothers in a separate pen.
Etymology
From Middle English sukeling, built from suck plus -ling (a suffix marking someone or something young or small). Related to German Säugling and Dutch zuigeling, which mean the same thing.