duck 1  (dk) n. 1. Any of various wild or domesticated swimming birds of the family Anatidae, characteristically having a broad, flat bill, short legs, and webbed feet. 2. A female duck. 3. The flesh of a duck used as food. 4. Slang A person, especially one thought of as peculiar. 5. Chiefly British A dear. Often used in the plural with a singular verb. [Middle English doke, from Old English dce, possibly from *dcan, to dive; see duck2.]

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duck 2  (dk) v. ducked, duck·ing, ducks v.tr. 1. To lower quickly, especially so as to avoid something: ducked his head as the ball came toward him. 2. To evade; dodge: duck responsibility; ducked the reporter's question. 3. To push suddenly under water. See Synonyms at dip. 4. Games To deliberately play a card that is lower than (an opponent's card). v.intr. 1. To lower the head or body. 2. To move swiftly, especially so as to escape being seen: ducked behind a bush. 3. To submerge the head or body briefly in water. 4. To evade a responsibility or obligation. Often used with out: duck out on one's family. 5. Games To lose a trick by deliberately playing lower than one's opponent. n. 1. A quick lowering of the head or body. 2. A plunge into water. [Middle English douken, to dive, possibly from Old English *dcan; akin to Middle Low German and Middle Dutch dken.] ducker n.

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duck 3  (dk) n. 1. A durable, closely woven heavy cotton or linen fabric. 2. ducks Clothing made of duck, especially white trousers. [Dutch doek, cloth, from Middle Dutch doec.]

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duck 4  (dk) n. In both senses also called DUKW. 1. An amphibious military truck used during World War II. 2. An amphibious truck used in emergencies, as to evacuate flood victims. [Alteration (influenced by duck) of DUKW.]

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition copyright ©2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.

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duck¹

n pl ducks, duck

1. (Life Sciences & Allied Applications / Animals) any of various small aquatic birds of the family Anatidae, typically having short legs, webbed feet, and a broad blunt bill: order Anseriformes

2. (Cookery) the flesh of this bird, used as food

3. (Life Sciences & Allied Applications / Zoology) the female of such a bird, as opposed to the male (drake)

4. (Life Sciences & Allied Applications / Animals) any other bird of the family Anatidae, including geese, and swans

5. Also ducks Brit informal dear or darling: used as a term of endearment or of general address See also ducky

6. Informal a person, esp one regarded as odd or endearing

7. (Team Sports / Cricket) Cricket a score of nothing by a batsman

like water off a duck's back Informal without effect

take to something like a duck to water Informal to become adept at or attracted to something very quickly

[Old English dūce duck, diver; related to duck²]

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duck²

vb

1. to move (the head or body) quickly downwards or away, esp so as to escape observation or evade a blow

2. to submerge or plunge suddenly and often briefly under water

3. (when intr, often foll by out) Informal to dodge or escape (a person, duty, etc.)

4. (Group Games / Bridge) (intr) Bridge to play a low card when possessing a higher one rather than try to win a trick

n

the act or an instance of ducking

[related to Old High German tūhhan to dive, Middle Dutch dūken]

ducker  n

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duck³

n

(Clothing, Personal Arts & Crafts / Textiles) a heavy cotton fabric of plain weave, used for clothing, tents, etc. See also ducks

[from Middle Dutch doek; related to Old High German tuoh cloth]

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duck⁴

n

(Military) an amphibious vehicle used in World War II

[from code name DUKW]

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003

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duck¹ (dʌk) 

n., pl. ducks, (esp. collectively for 1, 2 ) duck.

1. any of numerous relatively small and short-necked web-footed swimming birds of the family Anatidae, characterized by a broad, flat bill.

2. the female of this bird, as distinguished from the male. Compare drake.

3. the flesh of this bird, eaten as food.

4. ducks, (used with a sing. v.) Brit. Slang. ducky ².

[before 1000; Middle English duk, doke, Old English dūce; akin to duck²]

duck² (dʌk) 

v.i.

1. to stoop or bend suddenly; bob.

2. to avoid or evade a blow, unpleasant task, etc.; dodge.

3. to plunge the whole body or the head momentarily under water.

v.t.

4. to lower suddenly: Duck your head down!

5. to avoid or evade (a blow, unpleasant task, etc.); dodge.

6. to plunge or dip in water momentarily.

n.

7. an act or instance of ducking.

[1250–1300; akin to Middle Dutch, Middle Low German dūken, Old High German tūhhan]

duck′er, n.

duck³ (dʌk) 

n.

1. a heavy plain-weave cotton fabric for tents, clothing, bags, etc.

2. ducks, (used with a pl. v.) slacks or trousers made of this.

[1630–40; < Dutch doek cloth]

Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.

Thesaurus Legend:  Synonyms Related Words Antonyms

Noun	1.	duck - small wild or domesticated web-footed broad-billed swimming bird usually having a depressed body and short legs anseriform bird - chiefly web-footed swimming birds Anatidae, family Anatidae - swimming birds having heavy short-legged bodies and bills with a horny tip: swans; geese; ducks drake - adult male of a wild or domestic duck quack-quack - child's word for a duck duckling - young duck diving duck - any of various ducks of especially bays and estuaries that dive for their food dabbling duck, dabbler - any of numerous shallow-water ducks that feed by upending and dabbling Anas platyrhynchos, mallard - wild dabbling duck from which domestic ducks are descended; widely distributed Anas rubripes, black duck - a dusky duck of northeastern United States and Canada teal - any of various small short-necked dabbling river ducks of Europe and America Anas penelope, widgeon, wigeon - freshwater duck of Eurasia and northern Africa related to mallards and teals Anas clypeata, shoveler, shoveller, broadbill - freshwater duck of the northern hemisphere having a broad flat bill Anas acuta, pin-tailed duck, pintail - long-necked river duck of the Old and New Worlds having elongated central tail feathers sheldrake - Old World gooselike duck slightly larger than a mallard with variegated mostly black-and-white plumage and a red bill Oxyura jamaicensis, ruddy duck - reddish-brown stiff-tailed duck of North America and northern South America Bucephela albeola, bufflehead, butterball, dipper - small North American diving duck; males have bushy head plumage Bucephela clangula, goldeneye, whistler - large-headed swift-flying diving duck of Arctic regions Aythya valisineria, canvasback, canvasback duck - North American wild duck valued for sport and food Aythya ferina, pochard - heavy-bodied Old World diving duck having a grey-and-black body and reddish head Aythya americana, redhead - North American diving duck with a grey-and-black body and reddish-brown head bluebill, scaup, scaup duck, broadbill - diving ducks of North America having a bluish-grey bill wild duck - an undomesticated duck (especially a mallard) Aix sponsa, summer duck, wood duck, wood widgeon - showy North American duck that nests in hollow trees Aix galericulata, mandarin duck - showy crested Asiatic duck; often domesticated Cairina moschata, muscovy duck, musk duck - large crested wild duck of Central America and South America; widely domesticated sea duck - any of various large diving ducks found along the seacoast: eider; scoter; merganser duck down - down of the duck duck - flesh of a duck (domestic or wild)
	2.	duck - (cricket) a score of nothing by a batsman duck's egg cricket - a game played with a ball and bat by two teams of 11 players; teams take turns trying to score runs score - a number that expresses the accomplishment of a team or an individual in a game or contest; "the score was 7 to 0"
	3.	duck - flesh of a duck (domestic or wild) duck - small wild or domesticated web-footed broad-billed swimming bird usually having a depressed body and short legs poultry - flesh of chickens or turkeys or ducks or geese raised for food duckling - flesh of a young domestic duck
	4.	duck - a heavy cotton fabric of plain weave; used for clothing and tents cloth, fabric, textile, material - artifact made by weaving or felting or knitting or crocheting natural or synthetic fibers; "the fabric in the curtains was light and semitransparent"; "woven cloth originated in Mesopotamia around 5000 BC"; "she measured off enough material for a dress"
Verb	1.	duck - to move (the head or body) quickly downwards or away; "Before he could duck, another stone struck him" move - move so as to change position, perform a nontranslational motion; "He moved his hand slightly to the right"
	2.	duck - submerge or plunge suddenly dive, plunge, plunk - drop steeply; "the stock market plunged"
	3.	duck - dip into a liquid; "He dipped into the pool" douse, dip dip, dunk, souse, douse, plunge - immerse briefly into a liquid so as to wet, coat, or saturate; "dip the garment into the cleaning solution"; "dip the brush into the paint"
	4.	duck - avoid or try to avoid fulfilling, answering, or performing (duties, questions, or issues); "He dodged the issue"; "she skirted the problem"; "They tend to evade their responsibilities"; "he evaded the questions skillfully" evade, hedge, sidestep, skirt, parry, fudge, circumvent, dodge, elude, put off beg - dodge, avoid answering, or take for granted; "beg the question"; "beg the point in the discussion" quibble - evade the truth of a point or question by raising irrelevant objections avoid - stay clear from; keep away from; keep out of the way of someone or something; "Her former friends now avoid her"

Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.

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duck¹

verb

1. bob, drop, lower, bend, bow, dodge, crouch, stoop He ducked in time to save his head from the blow.

2. (Informal) dodge, avoid, escape, evade, elude, sidestep, circumvent, shirk, body-swerve (Scot.) He had ducked the confrontation.

3. dunk, wet, plunge, dip, submerge, immerse, douse, souse She splashed around in the pool trying to duck him.

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duck² noun

Related words
male drake
young duckling
collective nouns paddling, team

Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002

 Translations

Select a language:  -----------------------  

duck¹ (dak) verb

1. to push briefly under water. They splashed about, ducking each other in the pool.

2. to lower the head suddenly as if to avoid a blow. He ducked as the ball came at him.

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duck² (dak) – plurals ducks ~duck – noun

1. a kind of wild or domesticated water-bird with short legs and a broad flat beak.

2. a female duck. See also drake.

3. in cricket, a score of nil by a batsman. He was out for a duck.

ˈduckling (-liŋ) noun

a baby duck.

Kernerman English Multilingual Dictionary © 2006-2013 K Dictionaries Ltd.

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Multilingual Translator © HarperCollins Publishers 2009

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*easy as A, B, C and *easy as falling off a log; *easy as rolling off a log; *easy as (apple) pie; *easy as duck soup very easy. (*Also: as ~.) If you use a cake mix, baking a cake is easy as A, B, C. Mountain climbing is as easy as pie. Finding your way to the shopping center is easy as duck soup. Getting out of jail was easy as rolling off a log. See also: easy *sitting duck Fig. someone or something vulnerable to attack, physical or verbal. (Alludes to a duck floating on the water, not suspecting that it is the object of a hunter or predator. *Typically: be ~; like ~; looking like~.) You look like a sitting duck out there. Get in here where the enemy cannot fire at you. The senator was a sitting duck because of his unpopular position on school reform. See also: sitting as a duck takes to water Cliché easily and naturally. She took to singing just as a duck takes to water. The baby adapted to the bottle as a duck takes to water. See also: take, water dead duck Fig. someone or something that is certain to die or fail. If I fail that test, I'm a dead duck. When the outlaw drew his pistol, the sheriff knew he was a dead duck. See also: dead duck and cover 1. . Lit. to bend down and seek protection against an attack. When the gunfire started, we had to duck and cover or get killed. 2. Fig. to dodge something, such as an issue or a difficult question, and attempt to shield oneself against similar issues or questions. The candidate's first reaction to the question was to duck and cover. The debaters were ducking and covering throughout the evening. See also: and, cover duck down to stoop down quickly, as if to avoid being hit. He ducked down when he heard the gunshot. Duck down and get out of the way. duck out (of something) Fig. to evade something; to escape doing something. Are you trying to duck out of your responsibility? Fred tried to duck out of going to the dance. See also: out duck soup Fig. very easy; an easy thing to do. For Maria, knitting a sweater is duck soup. Jill: This jar is stuck. Could you open it for me? Jane: Sure. Duck soup. See also: soup get one's ducks in a row Fig. to get one's affairs in order or organized. Jane is organized. She really gets all her ducks in a row right away. You can't hope to go into a company and sell something until you get your ducks in a row. See also: get, row lame duck 1. Fig. someone who is in the last period of a term in an elective office and cannot run for reelection. You can't expect much from a lame duck. As a lame duck, there's not a lot I can do. 2. Fig. having to do with someone in the last period of a term in an elective office. (Used as an adjective; sometimes lame-duck.) You don't expect much from a lame-duck president. Lame-duck Congresses tend to do things they wouldn't dare do otherwise. See also: lame like water off a duck's back Fig. easily; without any apparent effect. Insults rolled off John like water off a duck's back. The bullets had no effect on the steel door. They fell away like water off a duck's back. See also: back, like, water Lord love a duck! Fig. My goodness! (An exclamation of surprise.) Lord love a duck! How that rain is coming down! Lord love a duck! Did you see that cat chasing that dog? See also: lord, love Lovely weather for ducks, and Fine weather for ducks. Cliché a greeting meaning that this unpleasant rainy weather must be good for something. Bill: Hi, Bob. How do you like this weather? Bob: Lovely weather for ducks. Sally: What a lot of rain! Tom: Yeah. Lovely weather for ducks. Don't care for it much myself. See also: lovely, weather McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs. © 2002 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. a dead duck  1. (informal) something or someone that is not successful or useful The project was a dead duck from the start due to a lack of funding. My first agent turned out to be a bit of a dead duck and he failed to find me any work. 2. (American & Australian informal) someone who is going to be punished severely for something they have done If Dad finds out you used the car, you'll be a dead duck. See also: dead a lame duck 1. a person or company that is in trouble and needs help In under two years, it was transformed from a state-owned lame duck into a successful company. 2. someone, especially an elected official, who cannot influence events any more, often because their job is going to end soon The Mayor intends to run for re-election to avoid being thought of as a lame duck. (mainly American) See also: lame a sitting duck something or someone that is easy to attack or criticize Unarmed policemen walking the streets late at night are sitting ducks. See also: sitting be (like) water off a duck's back if criticism is water off a duck's back to someone, it has no effect on them at all (often + to ) He's always being told he's lazy and incompetent, but it's just water off a duck's back to him. See also: back, water be duck soup  (American informal) to be very easy to do Winning your case in court ought to be duck soup. See also: soup ducking and diving  (informal) if you spend your time ducking and diving, you are involved in many different activities, especially ones which are not honest 'What do you do for a living?' 'This and that, ducking and diving.' See also: and, dive get your ducks in a row  (American informal) to organize things well The government talks about tax changes but they won't fix a date or an amount - they just can't get their ducks in a row. See also: get, row If it looks like a duck and walks/quack/flies etc. like a duck, it is a duck.  (humorous) used to say that something is probably exactly what it seems to be and we should trust our judgment about it They're calling it a clinic, not a prison, but if it looks like a duck and swims like a duck, then it is a duck, I think. See also: and, if, like, look, walk take to something like a duck to water to learn how to do something very quickly and to enjoy doing it Sue just took to motherhood like a duck to water. He's taken to his new school like a duck to water. See If it looks like a duck and walks etc. like a duck, it is a duck See also: like, take, water Cambridge Idioms Dictionary, 2nd ed. Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2006. Reproduced with permission. (as) easy as A, B, C See: (as) easy as pie See also: easy duck out (of somewhere) to leave a place quickly and without being noticed The press was waiting for us in front of the hospital, so we ducked out a side door into the car. Usage notes: often said about leaving before an event is finished: She ducked out of the dinner to watch the last quarter of the game. Related vocabulary: slip away See also: out have your ducks in a row also get your ducks in a row to organize things well I thought Mike was extremely smart and always had his ducks in a row. Related vocabulary: put your (own) house in order See also: have, row Cambridge Dictionary of American Idioms Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2003. Reproduced with permission. Want to thank TFD for its existence? Tell a friend about us, add a link to this page, add the site to iGoogle, or visit the webmaster's page for free fun content. Link to this page:  Please bookmark with social media, your votes are noticed and appreciated:

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