fledgling
/ˈflɛd͡ʒ.lɪŋ/ adjective, noun
Forms fledglings fledgeling
- adjective Untried or inexperienced.
- adjective Emergent or rising.
- noun A young bird which has just developed its flight feathers (notably wings).
- noun An insect that has just fledged, i.e. undergone its final moult to become an adult or imago.
- noun (figuratively) An immature, naïve or inexperienced person.
Synonyms
unfledged virginal nascent emerging newcomer fledgeling starter neophyte freshman newbie entrant callow
Etymology
From fledge (“prepare for flying”) + -ling.
Sources: Wiktionary · WordNet 3.0 — from the Wiktionary entry “fledgling”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details