noun,pluralducks,(especially collectively for 1, 2)duck.
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.
the female of this bird, as distinguished from the male.Compare drake1.
the flesh of this bird, eaten as food.
Informal. person; individual: He's the queer old duck with the shaved head and walrus mustache.
a playing marble, especially one that is not used as a shooter.
ducks, (used with a singular verb)BritishSlang. ducky2.
CricketSlang.
failure of a batsman to score: to be out for a duck.
a player's score of zero: to be bowled for a duck.Compare goose egg (def. 1).
Idioms for duck
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 of duck
1
First recorded before 1000; Middle English duk, doke, Old English dūce “diver, duck”; akin to duck2
For example, research reported in Science magazine found that in the laboratory, the virus either did not replicate or did not spread easily in dogs, pigs, chickens, or ducks.
Everything we know—and don’t know—about human-to-animal COVID transmission|jakemeth|September 4, 2020|Fortune
The pathway itself is a bit of a strange duck, because not all neurons that form it respond to the initial fear.
Towards ‘Eternal Sunshine’? New Links Found Between Memory and Emotion|Shelly Fan|July 28, 2020|Singularity Hub
The new study shows how water birds, such as ducks, may be part of that spread, she says.
Pooping ducks can shed the live eggs of fish|Carolyn Wilke|July 17, 2020|Science News For Students
Most eggs in the new study passed through a duck within one hour.
Pooping ducks can shed the live eggs of fish|Carolyn Wilke|July 17, 2020|Science News For Students
Shallow ponds — called potholes — on the prairie serve as nesting sites for half of the ducks in North America.
Scientists Say: Prairie|Bethany Brookshire|July 13, 2020|Science News For Students
The user fee on duck stamps goes exclusively to funding federal acquisition of wetlands as wildlife habitat.
Nazis, Sunscreen, and Sea Gull Eggs: Congress in 2014 Was Hella Productive|Ben Jacobs|December 29, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Because Duck Dynasty receives monster TV ratings and Robertson paid by a company (A&E) while making these public statements.
Butts, Brawls, and Bill Cosby: The Biggest Celebrity Scandals of 2014 |Kevin Fallon|December 27, 2014|DAILY BEAST
You can hide your extreme views and duck from having to answer questions about them.
Why You Can’t Tell the Truth About Race|Michael Tomasky|November 3, 2014|DAILY BEAST
So what if people with some spare cash order eggs Benedict made with jamón Ibérico and duck eggs?
Don’t Diss the Beauty of Brunch: Defending Our Favorite Meal|Tim Teeman|October 15, 2014|DAILY BEAST
So many people tell me the appeal of Duck Dynasty is that it reflects what life is like in “real America.”
Phil Robertson’s Despicable AIDS Argument Should Be the Last Straw|Kevin Fallon|September 16, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The Tchernaya abounded with duck, and some of the officers had little decoys of their own.
The British Expedition to the Crimea|William Howard Russell
Don't stop hunting till you find them—they'll duck off in the brush sure.
The Strength of the Pines|Edison Marshall
The game is to guess in which pile is the whale, and the crab, and the duck.
The Works of Hubert Howe Bancroft, Volume 1|Hubert Howe Bancroft
In it lay five eggs, the smallest he had ever seen in a Duck's nest.
Reptiles and Birds|Louis Figuier
She did not encourage Joan to preserve a burnished mind, but she took to astrology like a duck to water.
The Romance of His Life|Mary Cholmondeley
British Dictionary definitions for duck (1 of 4)
duck1
/ (dʌk) /
nounpluralducksorduck
any of various small aquatic birds of the family Anatidae, typically having short legs, webbed feet, and a broad blunt bill: order Anseriformes
the flesh of this bird, used as food
the female of such a bird, as opposed to the male (drake)
any other bird of the family Anatidae, including geese, and swans
Also: ducksBritishinformaldear or darling: used as a term of endearment or of general addressSee also ducky
informala person, esp one regarded as odd or endearing
cricketa score of nothing by a batsman
like water off a duck's backinformalwithout effect
take to something like a duck to waterinformalto become adept at or attracted to something very quickly
Word Origin for duck
Old English dūce duck, diver; related to duck ²
British Dictionary definitions for duck (2 of 4)
duck2
/ (dʌk) /
verb
to move (the head or body) quickly downwards or away, esp so as to escape observation or evade a blow
to submerge or plunge suddenly and often briefly under water
(when intr, often foll by out) informalto dodge or escape (a person, duty, etc)
(intr)bridgeto play a low card when possessing a higher one rather than try to win a trick
noun
the act or an instance of ducking
Derived forms of duck
ducker, noun
Word Origin for duck
C14: related to Old High German tūhhan to dive, Middle Dutch dūken
British Dictionary definitions for duck (3 of 4)
duck3
/ (dʌk) /
noun
a heavy cotton fabric of plain weave, used for clothing, tents, etcSee also ducks
Word Origin for duck
C17: from Middle Dutch doek; related to Old High German tuoh cloth