duck

¹ American  

[duhk] / dʌk /

noun

plural

ducks, duck

1. 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.

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

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

4. Informal. person; individual.

   He's the queer old duck with the shaved head and walrus mustache.

5. a playing marble, especially one that is not used as a shooter.

6. (used with a singular verb) ducks, ducky.

7. Cricket Slang.

   1. failure of a batsman to score.

      to be out for a duck.

   2. a player's score of zero.

      to be bowled for a duck.

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idioms

1. 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.

duck ² American  

[duhk] / dʌk /

verb (used without object)

1. to stoop or bend suddenly; bob.

   Synonyms:

   dodge, bow

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

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

   Synonyms:

   souse, dip, dive

4. Cards Informal. to play a card lower than the card led.

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verb (used with object)

1. to lower suddenly.

   Duck your head going through that low doorway.

2. to avoid or evade (a blow, unpleasant task, etc.); dodge: to duck an embarrassing question.

   to duck a hard right;

   to duck an embarrassing question.

3. to plunge or dip in water momentarily.

4. Cards Informal. to play a card lower than (the card led).

noun

1. an act or instance of ducking.

duck ³ American  

[duhk] / dʌk /

noun

1. a heavy, plain-weave cotton fabric for tents, clothing, bags, etc., in any of various weights and widths.

2. (used with a plural verb) ducks, slacks or trousers made of this material.

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duck ⁴ American  

[duhk] / dʌk /

noun

1. DUKW.

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duck ¹ British  

/ dʌk /

noun

1. any of various small aquatic birds of the family Anatidae, typically having short legs, webbed feet, and a broad blunt bill: order Anseriformes

2. the flesh of this bird, used as food

3. the female of such a bird, as opposed to the male (drake)

4. any other bird of the family Anatidae, including geese, and swans

5. Also: ducks.  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. cricket a score of nothing by a batsman

8. informal without effect

9. informal to become adept at or attracted to something very quickly

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duck ² British  

/ dʌk /

verb

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. informal to dodge or escape (a person, duty, etc)

4. (intr) bridge to play a low card when possessing a higher one rather than try to win a trick

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noun

1. the act or an instance of ducking

duck ³ British  

/ dʌk /

noun

1. a heavy cotton fabric of plain weave, used for clothing, tents, etc See also ducks

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duck ⁴ British  

/ dʌk /

noun

1. an amphibious vehicle used in World War II

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duck More Idioms  

More idioms and phrases containing duck

• dead duck
• get one's ducks in a row
• lame duck
• like water off a duck's back
• sitting duck
• take to (like a duck to water)
• ugly duckling

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Other Word Forms

• ducker
  noun

Etymology

Origin of duck¹

First recorded before 1000; Middle English duk, doke, Old English dūce “diver, duck”; akin to duck ²

Origin of duck²

First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English duken, douken; cognate with German tauchen “to dive,” ducken “to duck”

Origin of duck³

First recorded in 1630–40; from Dutch doek “cloth”; cognate with German Tuch

Origin of duck⁴

An Americanism dating back to 1940–45; by alteration

Explanation

A duck is a bird that spends much of its life on or near water. You can sometimes see whole families of ducks paddling across lakes and ponds. Ducks can be wild or domesticated — if you keep ducks in your yard, you'll need to provide them with at least a small body of water. When the word duck is a verb, it means "to bow or dip suddenly," like when your kite plunges suddenly and you duck to avoid getting hit in the head. You can duck figuratively, too: "Don't you dare duck out of helping me clean up after the party!"

Example Sentences

“It doesn’t make this any easier,” added center Mikael Granlund, at 34 the second-oldest Duck to play Thursday.

From Los Angeles Times • May 15, 2026

Troy Terry, who played two games as a rookie that season, is the only Duck remaining from that team.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 17, 2026

Others, like Gramercy Tavern and Minetta Tavern in New York and the Blue Duck Tavern in Washington, D.C., have lost their everyman appeal, becoming impossible to get into and expensive to eat at.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 27, 2026

Mr Duck pointed to Miss Wandelt's refusal to accept "the game was finally up" when told about the DNA result in April this year.

From BBC • Nov. 3, 2025

Biddy kept watching Mama Duck and Li’l Peep, but I got tired of squatting.

From "Girls Like Us" by Gail Giles

Related Words

• bend
• bow
• crouch
• dive
• dodge
• elude
• escape
• evade
• shun
• sidestep