buck Hear it!

buck1 definition

buck (buk)

noun

  1. pl. bucks or buck a male deer, antelope, goat, rabbit, etc.
  2. ☆ the act of bucking
    1. buckskin
    2. casual oxford shoes, originally of buckskin, now usually of light-colored suede, nubuck, etc.
  3. Informal a young man, esp. one who is bold, lively, vigorous, etc.: sometimes a contemptuous or patronizing term as applied to a young black or North American Indian man
  4. Archaic a fop or dandy

Etymology: ME bukke < OE bucca, male goat < IE base *bhuĝo- > Ger bock, Du bok, Ir boc

intransitive verb

  1. ☆ to rear upward quickly and descend with the back arched and forelegs stiff, as in an attempt to throw off a rider: said of a horse, mule, etc.
  2. to plunge forward with lowered head, as a goat
  3. Informal to resist something as if plunging against it
  4. Informal to move jerkily: said as of a car

transitive verb

  1. ☆ to dislodge or throw by bucking
  2. Informal to resist stubbornly

adjective

  1. male
  2. ☆ of the lowest military rating buck private, buck sergeant

Related Forms:

buck Idioms

buck for

Slang to work eagerly or too eagerly for (a promotion, etc.)

buck up

Informal to cheer up
buck2 definition

buck (buk)

noun

  1. Now Rare a sawbuck; sawhorse
  2. a small gymnastics horse used especially for training

Etymology: < sawbuck

buck3 definition

buck (buk)

noun

  1. Poker, Historical a counter placed before a player as a reminder to deal next, etc.
  2. Slang a dollar

Etymology: < ? buckskin, used as a medium of exchange

buck Idioms

pass the buck

Informal to evade blame or responsibility by trying to pass it to someone else
Buck definition

Buck (buk)

Buck, Pearl (born Pearl Sydenstricker) 1892-1973; U.S. novelist

Webster's New World College Dictionary Copyright © 2009 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Comments
Improve this definition.
Do you have more to add? Share your linguistic knowledge or observation.
/Register to save your comments.
Related Discussions (1)
TopicRepliesLatest Post
pass the buck639 years ago

Browse Forums