Definition

Noun: 1. An animal in its second year of life: Specifically, a domestic animal (like a horse, sheep, or cow) that is between one and two years old. 2. A racehorse considered one year old until the second January 1st following its birth: In the horse racing industry, this is a standard age classification. 3. A young child (archaic or literary): An older, less common usage referring to a child who is about one year old.

Usage and Examples

• Referring to a young animal:
  • The farmer sold the yearling calves at the market.
  • We have a beautiful yearling filly in the stable.
• Referring to a racehorse:
  • The yearling auction features some of the most promising young horses.
  • That yearling is already showing great speed on the track.
• Referring to a child (archaic):
  • The yearling took its first steps across the room. (This usage is now rare.)

Advanced Usage and Notes

• In livestock farming and breeding, a yearling is a crucial age category for describing, selling, or showing animals.
• In thoroughbred horse racing, all horses share the same official birthday (January 1st) in the Northern Hemisphere. A foal born on any date in 2023 becomes a yearling on January 1, 2024.
• The term is typically used as a noun ("a yearling") but can also function attributively as an adjective before another noun (e.g., "yearling sheep").

Variants and Related Words

• Yearling can be considered a specific type of juvenile or young animal.
• Related terms based on age for horses: foal (newborn), weanling (recently weaned, ~6 months), yearling, two-year-old, three-year-old.
• For cattle: calf, yearling, heifer (young female cow), steer (castrated male).

Synonyms

• Youngster (for animals)
• Juvenile animal
• Young stock (collectively)

Antonyms

• Adult
• Mature animal
• Senior (in some animal contexts)

Idioms and Fixed Phrases

• There are no common idioms using the word yearling. It is primarily a technical term used in specific contexts like agriculture, animal husbandry, and horse racing.

Noun

1. an animal in its second year
2. a racehorse considered one year old until the second Jan. 1 following its birth
3. a young child