Buck Definition

bŭk
bucked, bucking, bucks
noun
bucks
A male deer.
American Heritage
A male deer, antelope, goat, rabbit, etc.
Webster's New World
Antelope considered as a group.
A herd of buck.
American Heritage
Webster's New World
The act of bucking.
Webster's New World
Synonyms:
verb
bucked, bucking, bucks
To pass (a task or duty) to another, especially so as to avoid responsibility.
American Heritage
To rear upward quickly and descend with the back arched and forelegs stiff, as in an attempt to throw off a rider.
Webster's New World
To plunge forward with lowered head, as a goat.
Webster's New World
To resist something as if plunging against it.
Webster's New World
To make sudden jerky movements; jolt.
The motor bucked and lurched before it finally ran smoothly.
American Heritage
adjective
Male.
Webster's New World
Of the lowest military rating.
Buck private, buck sergeant.
Webster's New World
Synonyms:
  • unplace
adverb
Completely; stark.
Buck naked.
Webster's New World
idiom
the buck stops here
  • The ultimate responsibility rests here.
American Heritage
buck for
  • to work eagerly or too eagerly for (a promotion, etc.)
Webster's New World
buck up
  • to cheer up
Webster's New World
pass the buck
  • to evade blame or responsibility by trying to pass it to someone else
Webster's New World
the buck stops here
  • the responsibility cannot be shifted to someone else or evaded (by someone)
Webster's New World

Other Word Forms of Buck

Noun

Singular:
buck
Plural:
bucks

Origin of Buck

  • From Middle Low German bucken (“to bend”) or Middle Dutch bucken, bocken (“to bend”), intensive forms of Old Saxon būgan and Old Dutch *būgan (“to bend, bow”), from Proto-Germanic *būganą (“to bend”), from Proto-Indo-European *bʰūgʰ- (“to bend”). Cognate with German bücken (“to bend, stoop”), Danish bukke (“to buck”), Swedish bocka (“to bend, buck, bow”). In fluenced in some senses by buck (“male goat”). See above. Cf. bow.

    From Wiktionary

  • From Middle English buc, bucke, bukke, from Old English buc, bucc, bucca (“he-goat, stag”), from Proto-Germanic *bukkaz, *bukkô (“buck”) (compare West Frisian bok (“he-goat”), German Bock), from Proto-Indo-European *bʰug- (“ram”) (compare Albanian buzë, Old Armenian բուծ (buc, “sucking lamb”), Persian بز (boz, “goat”), Sanskrit बुख (bukha)).

    From Wiktionary

  • Alteration (influenced by buck) of Dutch bok male goat, trestle from Middle Dutch boc

    From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition

  • Middle English bukke from Old English buc male deer, bucca male goat

    From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition

  • Short for buckhorn knife (from its use as a marker in poker)

    From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition

  • Short for buckskin (from its use in trade)

    From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition

  • See beech.

    From Wiktionary

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