the male of the deer, antelope, rabbit, hare, sheep, or goat.
the male of certain other animals, as the shad.
an impetuous, dashing, or spirited man or youth.
Disparaging and Offensive. a contemptuous term used to refer to an American Indian male or an African American male.
buckskin.
bucks,casual oxford shoes made of buckskin, often in white or a neutral color.
adjective
Military. of the lowest of several ranks involving the same principal designation, hence subject to promotion within the rank: buck private; buck sergeant.
Origin of buck
1
First recorded before 1000; Middle English bukke, Old English bucca “he-goat,” bucc “male deer”; cognate with Dutch bok, German Bock, Old Norse bukkr;defs. 5, 6 by shortening
(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.
Informal. to resist or oppose obstinately; object strongly: The mayor bucked at the school board's suggestion.
(of a vehicle, motor, or the like) to operate unevenly; move by jerks and bounces.
verb (used with object)
to throw or attempt to throw (a rider or pack) by bucking.
to force a way through or proceed against (an obstacle): The plane bucked a strong headwind.
to strike with the head; butt.
to resist or oppose obstinately; object strongly to.
Football. (of a ball-carrier) to charge into (the opponent's line).
to gamble, play, or take a risk against: He was bucking the odds when he bought that failing business.
to press a reinforcing device against (the force of a rivet) in order to absorb vibration and increase expansion.
noun
an act of bucking.
Verb Phrases
buck for,to strive for a promotion or some other advantage: to buck for a raise.
buck up,to make or become more cheerful, vigorous, etc.: She knew that with a change of scene she would soon buck up.
Origin of buck
2
1855–60; verbal use of buck1, influenced in some senses by buck3
Definition for buck (3 of 9)
buck3
[ buhk ]
/ bʌk /
noun
a sawhorse.
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.
any of various heavy frames, racks, or jigs used to support materials or partially assembled items during manufacture, as in airplane assembly plants.
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)
to split or saw (logs, felled trees, etc.).
Verb Phrases
buck in,Surveying, Optical Tooling. to set up an instrument in line with two marks.
Origin of buck
3
First recorded in 1855–60; short for sawbuck1
Definition for buck (4 of 9)
buck4
[ buhk ]
/ bʌk /
noun
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)
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.
Origin of buck
4
First recorded in 1860–65; short for buckhorn knife, an object which served this function
Definition for buck (5 of 9)
buck5
[ buhk ]
/ bʌk /
BritishDialect
noun
lye used for washing clothes.
clothes washed in lye.
verb (used with object)
to wash or bleach (clothes) in lye.
Origin of buck
5
1350–1400; Middle English bouken (v.); compare Middle Low German buken, büken to steep in lye, Middle High German būchen, bruchen
Definition for buck (6 of 9)
buck6
[ buhk ]
/ bʌk /
verb (used without object), nounIndian English.
bukh.
Definition for buck (7 of 9)
buck7
[ buhk ]
/ bʌk /
adverbInformal.
completely; stark: buck naked.
Origin of buck
7
An Americanism dating back to 1925–30; of obscure origin
Definition for buck (8 of 9)
buck8
[ buhk ]
/ bʌk /
nounSlang.
a dollar.
Origin of buck
8
1855–60, Americanism; perhaps buck1 in sense “buckskin”; deerskins were used by Indians and frontiersmen as a unit of exchange in transactions with merchants
Definition for buck (9 of 9)
Buck
[ buhk ]
/ bʌk /
noun
Pearl (Sy·den·strick·er)[sahyd-n-strik-er], /ˈsaɪd nˌstrɪk ər/, 1892–1973, U.S. novelist: Nobel Prize 1938.
The numbers buck larger ongoing wearable trends, which have found smartwatches starting to utterly dominate the conversation.
Low-cost fitness bands see a resurgence in interest amid the pandemic|Brian Heater|September 4, 2020|TechCrunch
Many statistics would indicate Oportun is bucking the trend.
The Loan Company That Sued Thousands of Low-Income Latinos During the Pandemic|by Kiah Collier, Ren Larson and Perla Trevizo|August 31, 2020|ProPublica
While the challenges facing the industry have been, and will continue to be, difficult and painful for some agencies, this moment of bucking the traditional advertising cycles could be a necessary shake up for the industry.
‘We really don’t know’: How the continued uncertainty is shaking up the usual fall ad marketplace|Kristina Monllos|August 31, 2020|Digiday
This again bucked the trend of the two post-lockout seasons, during which shooting accuracy fell dramatically before bumping back up again.
Why Have NBA Offenses Been So Good In The Bubble?|Mike Prada|August 20, 2020|FiveThirtyEight
Congress is attempting to pass the buck on federal funding for education.
The ‘No Child’ Rewrite Threatens Your Kids’ Future|Jonah Edelman|January 3, 2015|DAILY BEAST
President Harry Truman kept a sign on his desk that read: “The Buck Stops Here.”
The ‘No Child’ Rewrite Threatens Your Kids’ Future|Jonah Edelman|January 3, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Jamming Netanyahu at the UN will buck him up among the right.
Why We Should Delay The Israel-Palestinian Peace Process|Aaron David Miller|December 19, 2014|DAILY BEAST
And if she does buck that tide, it does not necessarily mean that it is end of the Warren for President boomlet.
In the tiny seaside town of Yacahts, Oregon, Buck Henderson is ready to die.
Are Routine Scans Causing Cancer?|Dale Eisinger|September 17, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The insidious revolt led by Buck had destroyed the solidarity of the team.
The Call of the Wild|Jack London
Next day he spread the buck's hide out on the ground and drenched it liberally with the product of deer-brains.
The Blazed Trail|Stewart Edward White
We did so with more than military obedience, and I saw a buck standing not more than a hundred yards in front of me.
Six Months at the Cape|R.M. Ballantyne
Men are a good deal like pintos; some you can coax and some you can bully, but they all of 'em buck at the first gate.
The Fifth Ace|Douglas Grant
Buck snarled like a dog and swatted the glass with his hand, knocking it halfway across the room.
The Draw|Jerome Bixby
British Dictionary definitions for buck (1 of 5)
buck1
/ (bʌk) /
noun
the male of various animals including the goat, hare, kangaroo, rabbit, and reindeer
(as modifier)a buck antelope
Southern Africanan antelope or deer of either sex
USinformala young man
archaica robust spirited young man
archaica dandy; fop
the act of bucking
verb
(intr)(of a horse or other animal) to jump vertically, with legs stiff and back arched
(tr)(of a horse, etc) to throw (its rider) by bucking
(when intr , often foll by against) informal, mainlyUS and Canadianto resist or oppose obstinatelyto buck against change; to buck change
(tr; usually passive)informalto cheer or encourageI was very bucked at passing the exam
US and Canadianinformal(esp of a car) to move forward jerkily; jolt
US and Canadianto charge against (something) with the head down; butt
See also buck up
Derived forms of buck
bucker, noun
Word Origin for buck
Old English bucca he-goat; related to Old Norse bukkr, Old High German bock, Old Irish bocc
British Dictionary definitions for buck (2 of 5)
buck2
/ (bʌk) /
noun
US, Canadian and Australianinformala dollar
Southern Africaninformala rand
a fast buckeasily gained money
bang for one's buck See bang 1 (def. 15)
Word Origin for buck
C19: of obscure origin
British Dictionary definitions for buck (3 of 5)
buck3
/ (bʌk) /
noun
gymnasticsa type of vaulting horse
US and Canadiana stand for timber during sawingAlso called (in Britain and certain other countries): sawhorse
verb
(tr)US and Canadianto cut (a felled or fallen tree) into lengths
Word Origin for buck
C19: short for sawbuck
British Dictionary definitions for buck (4 of 5)
buck4
/ (bʌk) /
noun
pokera marker in the jackpot to remind the winner of some obligation when his turn comes to deal
pass the buckinformalto shift blame or responsibility onto another
the buck stops hereinformalthe ultimate responsibility lies here
Word Origin for buck
C19: probably from buckhorn knife, placed before a player in poker to indicate that he was the next dealer
British Dictionary definitions for buck (5 of 5)
Buck
/ (bʌk) /
noun
Pearl S (ydenstricker). 1892–1973, US novelist, noted particularly for her novel of Chinese life The Good Earth (1931): Nobel prize for literature 1938
What Do The Latin Phrases And Symbols On The Dollar Bill Mean?We've all thought it at some point, but is there any truth to the theory that the images and phrases on the dollar bill are secret messages?