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duck - What does it mean?

Definition of 'duck'

English

Etymology 1

From (etyl) .

Verb

(en-verb)
  • To lower the head or body in order to prevent it from being struck by something.
  • To lower (something) into water; to thrust or plunge under liquid and suddenly withdraw.
  • * Fielding
    • Adams, after ducking the squire twice or thrice, leaped out of the tub.
  • To go under the surface of water and immediately reappear; to plunge one's head into water or other liquid.
  • * Dryden
    • In Tiber ducking thrice by break of day.
  • To lower (the head) in order to prevent it from being struck by something.
    • (Jonathan Swift)
  • To bow.
  • * Shakespeare
    • The learned pate / Ducks to the golden fool.
  • To evade doing something.
  • To lower the volume of (a sound) so that other sounds in the mix can be heard more clearly.
  • * 2007 , Alexander U. Case, Sound FX: unlocking the creative potential of recording studio effects (page 183)
    • The music is ducked under the voice.
    Synonyms
    * (to lower the head) duck down * (to lower into the water) dip, dunk * (to lower in order to prevent it from being struck by something) dip
    Derived terms
    * duck and cover * duck out

    Etymology 2

    From (etyl) ducke, dukke, doke, dokke, douke, duke, from (etyl) duce, .

    Noun

  • An aquatic bird of the family Anatidae, having a flat bill and webbed feet.
  • Specifically'', an adult female duck; ''contrasted with'' drake ''and with duckling.
  • (uncountable) The flesh of a duck used as food.
  • (cricket) A batsman's score of zero after getting out. (short for duck's egg, since the digit "0" is round like an egg.)
  • (slang) A playing card with the rank of two.
  • A partly-flooded cave passage with limited air space.
  • A building intentionally constructed in the shape of an everyday object to which it is related.
    • A luncheonette in the shape of a coffee cup is particularly conspicuous, as is intended of an architectural duck or folly.
  • * 2007 , Cynthia Blair, "It Happened on Long Island: 1988—Suffolk County Adopts the Big Duck," , 21 Feb.:
    • The Big Duck has influenced the world of architecture; any building that is shaped like its product is called a ‘duck ’.
  • A marble to be shot at with another marble (the shooter) in children's games.
  • (US) A cairn used to mark a trail.
    • Hyponyms
    * (bird) Anas platyrhynchos (domesticus), Mallard-derived domestic breeds, including Pekin, Rouen, Campbell, Call, Runner; Cairina moschata, Muscovy duck
    Derived terms
    * break one’s duck, break the duck * Burdekin duck * dabbling duck * decoy duck * diving duck * duck-arsed * duckbill * duck-billed (rel-mid3) * duckboard * duck-footed * duckling * duckness * ducks and drakes * ducks on the pond * hunt where the ducks are * lame duck (rel-mid3) * Lord love a duck * odd duck * Peking duck * rubber duck * * shelduck * sitting duck * take to something like a duck to water (rel-bottom)

    See also

    (top2) * anatine * drake * goose (mid2) * quack * swan * waterfowl (bottom)

    References

    * Weisenberg, Michael (2000) The Official Dictionary of Poker. MGI/Mike Caro University. ISBN 978-1880069523

    Etymology 3

    From (etyl) doek, from (etyl) doeck, .

    Alternative forms

    * (l), (l) (Scotland)

    Noun

    (en-noun)
  • A tightly-woven cotton fabric used as sailcloth.
  • * 1912 , , "The Woman At The Store", from Selected Short Stories :
    • He was dressed in a Jaeger vest—a pair of blue duck trousers, fastened round the waist with a plaited leather belt.
  • Trousers made of such material.
  • *1918 , (Rebecca West), The Return of the Soldier , Virago 2014, p. 56:
  • *:And they would go up and find old Allington, in white ducks , standing in the fringe of long grasses and cow-parsley on the other edge of the island […].

    • Etymology 4

    (central England). From (etyl) .

    Noun

    (en-noun)
  • A term of endearment; pet; darling.
    • And hold-fast is the only dog, my duck (William Shakespeare - The Life of King Henry the Fifth, Act 2, Scene 3).
  • Dear, mate (informal way of addressing a friend or stranger).
    • Ay up duck , ow'a'tha?

    Synonyms

    * See

    Derived terms

    * ay up me duck

    References

    * '>citation 1000 English basic words English terms with multiple etymologies English affectionate terms ----

    Similar to 'duck'

    dick, dock, disk, deck, desk, dusk, dek, dak, deek, dawk, dook, dhak, dack