buck1

[buhk] /bʌk/
noun
1.
the male of the deer, antelope, rabbit, hare, sheep, or goat.
2.
the male of certain other animals, as the shad.
3.
an impetuous, dashing, or spirited man or youth.
4.
Disparaging and Offensive. a contemptuous term used to refer to an American Indian male or a black male.
5.
buckskin.
6.
bucks, casual oxford shoes made of buckskin, often in white or a neutral color.
adjective
7.
Military. of the lowest of several ranks involving the same principal designation, hence subject to promotion within the rank:
buck private; buck sergeant.
Origin
before 1000; Middle English bukke, Old English bucca he-goat, bucc male deer; cognate with Dutch bok, German Bock, Old Norse bukkr; def. 5, 6 by shortening; buck private (from circa 1870) perhaps as extension of general sense “male,” i.e., having no status other than being male

buck2

[buhk] /bʌk/
verb (used without object)
1.
(of a saddle or pack animal) to leap with arched back and come down with head low and forelegs stiff, in order to dislodge a rider or pack.
2.
Informal. to resist or oppose obstinately; object strongly:
The mayor bucked at the school board's suggestion.
3.
(of a vehicle, motor, or the like) to operate unevenly; move by jerks and bounces.
verb (used with object)
4.
to throw or attempt to throw (a rider or pack) by bucking.
5.
to force a way through or proceed against (an obstacle):
The plane bucked a strong headwind.
6.
to strike with the head; butt.
7.
to resist or oppose obstinately; object strongly to.
8.
Football. (of a ball-carrier) to charge into (the opponent's line).
9.
to gamble, play, or take a risk against:
He was bucking the odds when he bought that failing business.
10.
to press a reinforcing device against (the force of a rivet) in order to absorb vibration and increase expansion.
noun
11.
an act of bucking.
Verb phrases
12.
buck for, to strive for a promotion or some other advantage:
to buck for a raise.
13.
buck up, to make or become more cheerful, vigorous, etc.:
She knew that with a change of scene she would soon buck up.
Origin
1855-60; verbal use of buck1, influenced in some senses by buck3

buck3

[buhk] /bʌk/
noun
1.
a sawhorse.
2.
Gymnastics. a cylindrical, leather-covered block mounted in a horizontal position on a single vertical post set in a steel frame, for use chiefly in vaulting.
3.
any of various heavy frames, racks, or jigs used to support materials or partially assembled items during manufacture, as in airplane assembly plants.
4.
Also called door buck. a doorframe of wood or metal set in a partition, especially one of light masonry, to support door hinges, hardware, finish work, etc.
verb (used with object)
5.
to split or saw (logs, felled trees, etc.).
Verb phrases
6.
buck in, Surveying, Optical Tooling. to set up an instrument in line with two marks.
Origin
1855-60; short for sawbuck

buck4

[buhk] /bʌk/
noun
1.
Poker. any object in the pot that reminds the winner of some privilege or obligation when his or her turn to deal next comes.
verb (used with object)
2.
to pass (something) along to another, especially as a means of avoiding responsibility or blame:
He bucked the letter on to the assistant vice president to answer.
Idioms
3.
pass the buck, to shift responsibility or blame to another person:
Never one to admit error, he passed the buck to his subordinates.
Origin
1860-65; short for buckhorn knife, an object which served this function

buck5

[buhk] /bʌk/
noun
1.
lye used for washing clothes.
2.
clothes washed in lye.
verb (used with object)
3.
to wash or bleach (clothes) in lye.
Origin
1350-1400; Middle English bouken (v.); compare Middle Low German buken, büken to steep in lye, Middle High German būchen, bruchen

buck6

[buhk] /bʌk/
verb (used without object), noun, Indian English.
1.
bukh.

buck7

[buhk] /bʌk/
adverb, Informal.
1.
completely; stark:
buck naked.
Origin
1925-30, Americanism; of obscure origin

buck8

[buhk] /bʌk/
noun, Slang.
1.
a dollar.
Origin
1855-60, Americanism; perhaps buck1 in sense “buckskin”; deerskins were used by Indians and frontiersmen as a unit of exchange in transactions with merchants

Buck

[buhk] /bʌk/
noun
1.
Pearl (Sydenstricker)
[sahyd-n-strik-er] /ˈsaɪd nˌstrɪk ər/ (Show IPA), 1892–1973, U.S. novelist: Nobel Prize 1938.
2.
a male given name.
Examples from the web for buck
  • Someone should be held accountable, and the buck stops with the president.
  • Replacing the gas backup with green storage adds a further buck a kwh.
  • Armed with such logic, a coalition of the hopeful is trying to buck the rude trend, even to reverse it.
  • Instead of ransoming domain names, owners find other ways to make a buck from websites bearing celebrity monikers.
  • Most hedge funds are not in the market to make a quick buck.
  • And universities have been criticised for abandoning the pursuit of truth in favour of making a quick buck.
  • Spring offers a less touristy experience, good weather, and more bang for the buck.
  • Doubling capacity would add a buck a month to your bill.
  • Some of them need to buck up, and some of them need to shut up.
  • But tales of their savagery and wiliness don't all come from sensationalist authors looking to make a buck.
British Dictionary definitions for buck

buck1

/bʌk/
noun
1.
  1. the male of various animals including the goat, hare, kangaroo, rabbit, and reindeer
  2. (as modifier): a buck antelope
2.
(South African) an antelope or deer of either sex
3.
(US, informal) a young man
4.
(archaic) a robust spirited young man
5.
(archaic) a dandy; fop
6.
the act of bucking
verb
7.
(intransitive) (of a horse or other animal) to jump vertically, with legs stiff and back arched
8.
(transitive) (of a horse, etc) to throw (its rider) by bucking
9.
(informal, mainly US & Canadian) when intr, often foll by against. to resist or oppose obstinately: to buck against change, to buck change
10.
(transitive; usually passive) (informal) to cheer or encourage: I was very bucked at passing the exam
11.
(US & Canadian, informal) (esp of a car) to move forward jerkily; jolt
12.
(US & Canadian) to charge against (something) with the head down; butt
See also buck up
Derived Forms
bucker, noun
Word Origin
Old English bucca he-goat; related to Old Norse bukkr, Old High German bock, Old Irish bocc

buck2

/bʌk/
noun
1.
(US & Canadian, Austral, informal) a dollar
2.
(South African, informal) a rand
3.
a fast buck, easily gained money
4.
bang for one's buck, See bang1 (sense 15)
Word Origin
C19: of obscure origin

buck3

/bʌk/
noun
1.
(gymnastics) a type of vaulting horse
2.
(US & Canadian) a stand for timber during sawing Also called (in Britain and certain other countries) sawhorse
verb
3.
(transitive) (US & Canadian) to cut (a felled or fallen tree) into lengths
Word Origin
C19: short for sawbuck

buck4

/bʌk/
noun
1.
(poker) a marker in the jackpot to remind the winner of some obligation when his turn comes to deal
2.
(informal) pass the buck, to shift blame or responsibility onto another
3.
(informal) the buck stops here, the ultimate responsibility lies here
Word Origin
C19: probably from buckhorn knife, placed before a player in poker to indicate that he was the next dealer

Buck

/bʌk/
noun
1.
Pearl S(ydenstricker). 1892–1973, US novelist, noted particularly for her novel of Chinese life The Good Earth (1931): Nobel prize for literature 1938
Word Origin and History for buck
n.

"male deer," c.1300, earlier "male goat;" from Old English bucca "male goat," from Proto-Germanic *bukkon (cf. Old Saxon buck, Middle Dutch boc, Dutch bok, Old High German boc, German Bock, Old Norse bokkr), perhaps from a PIE root *bhugo (cf. Avestan buza "buck, goat," Armenian buc "lamb"), but some speculate that it is from a lost pre-Germanic language. Barnhart says Old English buc "male deer," listed in some sources, is a "ghost word or scribal error."

Meaning "dollar" is 1856, American English, perhaps an abbreviation of buckskin, a unit of trade among Indians and Europeans in frontier days, attested in this sense from 1748. Pass the buck is first recorded in the literal sense 1865, American English:

The 'buck' is any inanimate object, usually knife or pencil, which is thrown into a jack pot and temporarily taken by the winner of the pot. Whenever the deal reaches the holder of the 'buck', a new jack pot must be made. [J.W. Keller, "Draw Poker," 1887]
Perhaps originally especially a buck-handled knife. The figurative sense of "shift responsibility" is first recorded 1912. Buck private is recorded by 1870s, of uncertain signification.

"sawhorse," 1817, American English, apparently from Dutch bok "trestle."

v.

1848, apparently with a sense of "jump like a buck," from buck (n.1). Related: Bucked; bucking. Buck up "cheer up" is from 1844.

Slang definitions & phrases for buck

buck

noun
  1. A dollar (1850s+)
  2. A hundred dollars, esp as a bet (1960s+ Gambling)
  3. buck private
  4. A Roman Catholic priest (1920s+ Hoboes)
  5. A young male Indian; Native American brave (1800+)
  6. young black man (1830s+)
  7. Any young man, esp a strong and spirited one; bucko (mid-1700s+)
verb
  1. To resist; defy; go up against •Often in the negative: You can't buck the system/ Life is a combination hard to buck, A proposition difficult to beat (1850s+)
  2. To work for personal advancement; aspire eagerly; covet: I'm bucking for that dealership (1880s+)
  3. To pass along a letter, memorandum, problem, etc, usually without taking action; pass the buck: Let's buck this one to the Committee on Hot Potatoes (WWII armed forces)
Related Terms

bang for the buck, big bucks, the buck stops here, fast buck, pass the buck, sawbuck

[all senses ultimately fr buck, ''male animal, usually horned''; the semantics are complex: for example, the first sense is said to be fr the fact that a buck deer's skin was more valuable than a female's skin; the other senses have most to do with male behavior of a butting and strutting sort]


Idioms and Phrases with buck

buck

also see: