duck1

[duhk] /dʌk/
noun, plural ducks, (especially collectively for 1, 2) duck.
1.
any of numerous wild or domesticated web-footed swimming birds of the family Anatidae, especially of the genus Anas and allied genera, characterized by abroad, flat bill, short legs, and depressed body.
2.
the female of this bird, as distinguished from the male.
Compare drake1 .
3.
the flesh of this bird, eaten as food.
4.
Informal. person; individual:
He's the queer old duck with the knee-length gaiters and walrus mustache.
5.
a playing marble, especially one that is not used as a shooter.
6.
ducks, (used with a singular verb) British Slang. ducky2 .
7.
Cricket Slang.
  1. failure of a batsman to score:
    to be out for a duck.
  2. a player's score of zero:
    to be bowled for a duck.
    Compare goose egg.
Idioms
8.
water off a duck's back, something that has little or no effect:
Our criticisms of his talk rolled off him like water off a duck's back.
Origin
before 1000; Middle English duk, doke, Old English dūce diver, duck; akin to duck2

duck2

[duhk] /dʌk/
verb (used without object)
1.
to stoop or bend suddenly; bob.
2.
to avoid or evade a blow, unpleasant task, etc.; dodge.
3.
to plunge the whole body or the head momentarily under water.
4.
Cards Informal. to play a card lower than the card led.
verb (used with object)
5.
to lower suddenly:
Duck your head going through that low doorway.
6.
to avoid or evade (a blow, unpleasant task, etc.); dodge:
to duck a hard right; to duck an embarrassing question.
7.
to plunge or dip in water momentarily.
8.
Cards Informal. to play a card lower than (the card led).
noun
9.
an act or instance of ducking.
Origin
1250-1300; Middle English duken, douken; cognate with German tauchen to dive, ducken to duck
Synonyms
1. bow, dodge. 3. dive, dip, souse.

duck3

[duhk] /dʌk/
noun
1.
a heavy, plain-weave cotton fabric for tents, clothing, bags, etc., in any of various weights and widths.
2.
ducks, (used with a plural verb) slacks or trousers made of this material.
Origin
1630-40; < Dutch doek cloth; cognate with German Tuch

duck4

[duhk] /dʌk/
noun
1.
DUKW.
Origin
1940-45, Americanism; by alteration
Examples from the web for duck
  • On the other hand, she also talked about wanting to avoid becoming a lame-duck governor.
  • NO one thinks twice about buying chicken in parts, but few places will sell you duck legs or breasts separately.
  • The duck leaves, but the bartender is shocked when the duck walks back into the bar a short time later.
  • Cut duck into slices and serve atop the manioc layers with salad.
  • If the wetlands need to be preserved, let duck unlimited do it.
  • For fancier tastes, there's spice-crusted filet mignon and maple-glazed duck.
  • At the same time, he did not want to duck the human question but to show that he knew fully what his theory implied.
  • People hurry into shops or duck into the underground.
  • Fortunately, my ability to simultaneously duck and run is never tested.
  • They have both done so much for us that gets constantly ignored every time someone wants to duck personal responsibility.
British Dictionary definitions for duck

duck1

/dʌk/
noun (pl) ducks, duck
1.
any of various small aquatic birds of the family Anatidae, typically having short legs, webbed feet, and a broad blunt bill: order Anseriformes
2.
the flesh of this bird, used as food
3.
the female of such a bird, as opposed to the male (drake)
4.
any other bird of the family Anatidae, including geese, and swans
5.
(Brit, informal) Also ducks. dear or darling: used as a term of endearment or of general address See also ducky
6.
(informal) a person, esp one regarded as odd or endearing
7.
(cricket) a score of nothing by a batsman
8.
(informal) like water off a duck's back, without effect
9.
(informal) take to something like a duck to water, to become adept at or attracted to something very quickly
Word Origin
Old English dūce duck, diver; related to duck²

duck2

/dʌk/
verb
1.
to move (the head or body) quickly downwards or away, esp so as to escape observation or evade a blow
2.
to submerge or plunge suddenly and often briefly under water
3.
(informal) when intr, often foll by out. to dodge or escape (a person, duty, etc)
4.
(intransitive) (bridge) to play a low card when possessing a higher one rather than try to win a trick
noun
5.
the act or an instance of ducking
Derived Forms
ducker, noun
Word Origin
C14: related to Old High German tūhhan to dive, Middle Dutch dūken

duck3

/dʌk/
noun
1.
a heavy cotton fabric of plain weave, used for clothing, tents, etc See also ducks
Word Origin
C17: from Middle Dutch doek; related to Old High German tuoh cloth

duck4

/dʌk/
noun
1.
an amphibious vehicle used in World War II
Word Origin
C20: from code name DUKW
Word Origin and History for duck
n.

waterfowl, Old English duce (found only in genitive ducan) "a duck," literally "a ducker," presumed to be from Old English *ducan "to duck, dive" (see duck (v.)). Replaced Old English ened as the name for the bird, this being from PIE *aneti-, the root of the "duck" noun in most Indo-European languages.

In the domestic state the females greatly exceed in number, hence duck serves at once as the name of the female and of the race, drake being a specific term of sex. [OED]
As a term of endearment, attested from 1580s. duck-walk is 1930s; duck soup "anything easily done" is by 1899. Duck's ass haircut is from 1951. Ducks-and-drakes, skipping flat stones on water, is from 1580s; the figurative sense of "throwing something away recklessly" is c.1600.

"strong, untwilled linen (later cotton) fabric," used for sails and sailors' clothing, 1630s, from Dutch doeck "linen cloth" (Middle Dutch doec), related to German Tuch "piece of cloth," Danish dug, Old Frisian dok, Old High German tuoh, all of unknown origin.

v.

"to plunge into" (transitive), c.1300; to suddenly go under water (intransitive), mid-14c., from presumed Old English *ducan "to duck," found only in derivative duce (n.) "duck" (but there are cognate words in other Germanic languages, e.g. Old High German tuhhan "to dip," German tauchen "to dive," Old Frisian duka, Middle Dutch duken "to dip, dive," Dutch duiken), from Proto-Germanic *dukjan.

Sense of "bend, stoop quickly" is first recorded in English 1520s. Related: Ducked; ducking. The noun is attested from 1550s in the sense of "quick stoop;" meaning "a plunge, dip" is from 1843.

Slang definitions & phrases for duck

duck

noun
  1. A man; fellow; guy: That duck isn't a critic (1846+)
  2. (also ducks) Dear one; precious; pet; ducky: and his wife, a darling duck of a homebody (1590+)
  3. duck-egg (1868+)
  4. A hospital bedpan (1917+)
  5. An amphibious vehicle, esp a WWII troop carrier designated DUKW 1942, whence the nickname (WWII armed forces)
verb
  1. To move, weave, squat, etc, so as to avoid a blow (1530+)
  2. (also duck out) To evade or escape: He ducked over the wall/ They always felt she was trying to duck work (1896+)
Related Terms

dead duck, fuck a duck, have one's ducks in a row, knee-high to a grasshopper, lame duck, ruptured duck, sitting duck


Idioms and Phrases with duck

duck

also see: