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ducks and drakes
Word Origin
noun
1.
Also,
duck and drake
. a pastime in which flat stones or shells are thrown across water so as to skip over the surface several times before sinking.
Idioms
2.
play ducks and drakes with,
to handle recklessly; squander:
He played ducks and drakes with his fortune.
Also,
make ducks and drakes of
.
Origin of
ducks and drakes
Expand
1575-1585
First recorded in
1575-85;
from a fancied likeness to a waterfowl's movements
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2017.
Cite This Source
British Dictionary definitions for
ducks and drakes
Expand
ducks and drakes
noun
(
functioning as sing
)
1.
a game in which a flat stone is bounced across the surface of water
2.
make ducks and drakes of,
play ducks and drakes with,
play at ducks and drakes with,
to use recklessly; squander or waste
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Cite This Source
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Difficulty index for
ducks and drakes
Few English speakers likely know this word
Word Value for
ducks
12
14
Scrabble
Words With Friends
Nearby words for ducks and drakes
ducking
ducking stool
duckling
duckpin
ducks
ducks and drakes
ducktail
ducktail-haircut
duckweed
duckwheat
ducky
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