Eaglets

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A young eagle in its early stages of development, still reliant on its parents for food and care
2. The juvenile form of a bird belonging to the family of eagles, characterized by its downy feathers and dependence on adults
3. A fledgling eagle, typically in the period after hatching but before gaining full independence in flight and hunting skills

Etymology: "Eaglets" is the plural of "eaglet," a young eagle. It is a plain formation: the noun "eagle" with the diminutive suffix "-let" attached, the same ending found in "booklet" or "piglet." The suffix came into English from Old French "-elet," which descended from Latin diminutives in "-ellus" and "-ittus," and it was attached to the native English "eagle" to mark a small or young one. Eagle itself is an older word that reached English from Old French and Latin, so the eaglet is a small eagle built from a borrowed root and a borrowed-then-naturalised ending. Middle English used "-let" widely, which is why English speakers today can coin diminutives almost at will.

Synonyms: young eagles, nestlings, chicks