Pronunciation: [jˈi͡əlɪŋ] (IPA) 
Yearling is a noun that refers to a young animal that is one year old, typically a calf or a horse. The spelling of the word is /ˈjɪərlɪŋ/. The first syllable is pronounced with the vowel sound /ɪər/ as in fear, followed by the consonant sound /l/, and ending with the final syllable /ɪŋ/ pronounced with the sound of the letter i as in king. The word can also be used as an adjective, meaning being one year old.
A yearling refers to a young animal that is one year old or in its second year of life, particularly mammals. This term is commonly used in relation to livestock or wild animals.
In the context of livestock, a yearling typically refers to a young farm animal that was born the previous year. It is no longer a newborn, but it has yet to reach adult maturity. For example, a yearling bull would be a young male bovine that is between one and two years old. These animals are often raised and managed separately to ensure proper growth and development until they are mature enough for breeding or utilization for meat production.
The term yearling also applies to wild animals. In this context, it pertains to the age group of animals that have just passed their first year of life and is now transitioning into adulthood. Yearlings in the wild often experience challenges as they adapt to their changing environments and learn to survive independently. For instance, a yearling deer is a young deer that has surpassed its first twelve months of life but has yet to reach sexual maturity.
In conclusion, a yearling relates to a young animal that is one year old or in its second year, either on a farm or the wild, stressing the transition phase from infancy to adolescence before reaching full adulthood.
• Being a year old.
• A beast in the second year of its age.
Etymological and pronouncing dictionary of the English language. By Stormonth, James, Phelp, P. H. Published 1874.
* The statistics data for these misspellings percentages are collected from over 15,411,110 spell check sessions on www.spellchecker.net from Jan 2010 - Jun 2012.
The word "yearling" has its origins in the Old English language. It is derived from two elements: "year" and "-ling".
The word "year" comes from the Old English word "gear", which referred to a measure of time equal to the duration of the Earth's revolution around the sun. This Old English word itself has Germanic roots.
The suffix "-ling" is a diminutive and is used to express the meaning of "a young or small version of something". It is also derived from the Old English language.
When these two elements are combined, "yearling" signifies a young animal in its second year of life. Over time, the word has come to particularly refer to a young horse, although it can also apply to other animals.
