noun
Etymology: from The Ugly Duckling (1835?), story by Hans Christian Andersen died 1875 Dan. author
: an immature or dependent person or thing that is despised or neglected because of unprepossessing appearance or unpromising qualities but that develops or is capable of developing into a person or thing worthy of attention or respect
from the beginning Alaska was treated pretty much as our ugly duckling — W.O.Douglas
bacteriology is still too often taught as the ugly duckling of botany — Justina Hill