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buck
1[ buhk ]
/ bÊk /
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noun
adjective
Military. of the lowest of several ranks involving the same principal designation, hence subject to promotion within the rank: buck private; buck sergeant.
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Origin of buck
1First recorded before 1000; Middle English bukke, Old English bucca âhe-goat,â bucc âmale deerâ; cognate with Dutch bok, German Bock, Old Norse bukkr; defs. 5, 6, by shortening
Words nearby buck
Buchman, Buchmanism, Buchner, Buchner funnel, buchu, buck, buck and wing, buckaroo, buck bean, buckboard, bucked
Other definitions for buck (2 of 9)
Other definitions for buck (3 of 9)
buck3
[ buhk ]
/ bÊk /
noun
a sawbuck; 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)
U.S. and Canadian 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
3First recorded in1855â60; short for sawbuck1
Other definitions for buck (4 of 9)
buck4
[ buhk ]
/ bÊk /
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
4First recorded in 1860â65; short for buckhorn knife, used as a reminder in poker
Other definitions for buck (5 of 9)
Origin of buck
5An Americanism dating back to 1925â30; of obscure origin
Other definitions for buck (6 of 9)
buck6
[ buhk ]
/ bÊk /
noun Slang.
a dollar.
Origin of buck
6An Americanism dating to 1855â60; perhaps buck1 in sense âbuckskinâ (deerskins were used by Indians and frontiersmen as a unit of exchange in transactions with merchants)
Other definitions for buck (7 of 9)
Other definitions for buck (8 of 9)
buck8
[ buhk ]
/ bÊk /
noun
lye used for washing clothes.
clothes washed in lye.
verb (used with object)
to wash or bleach (clothes) in lye.
Origin of buck
8First recorded in 1350â1400; Middle English verb bouken; compare Middle Low German buken, bĂŒken âto steep in lye,â Middle High German bĆ«chen, German bĂ€uchen, beuchen
Other definitions for buck (9 of 9)
Buck
[ buhk ]
/ bÊk /
noun
Pearl (Sy·den·strick·er) [sahyd-n-strik-er], /ËsaÉȘd nËstrÉȘk Ér/, 1892â1973, U.S. novelist: Nobel Prize 1938.
a male given name.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use buck in a sentence
British Dictionary definitions for buck (1 of 5)
buck1
/ (bÊk) /
noun
verb
See also buck up
Derived forms of buck
bucker, nounWord 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
/ (bÊk) /
noun
US, Canadian and Australian informal a dollar
Southern African informal a rand
a fast buck easily 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
/ (bÊk) /
noun
gymnastics a type of vaulting horse
US and Canadian a stand for timber during sawingAlso called (in Britain and certain other countries): sawhorse
verb
(tr) US and Canadian to 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
/ (bÊk) /
noun
poker a marker in the jackpot to remind the winner of some obligation when his turn comes to deal
pass the buck informal to shift blame or responsibility onto another
the buck stops here informal the 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
/ (bÊk) /
noun
Pearl S (ydenstricker). 1892â1973, US novelist, noted particularly for her novel of Chinese life The Good Earth (1931): Nobel prize for literature 1938
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
Other Idioms and Phrases with buck
buck
The American HeritageÂź Idioms Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.