buck

[ buhk ]

/ bʌk /

SEE SYNONYMS FOR buck ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

the male of the deer, antelope, rabbit, hare, sheep, or goat.

the male of certain other animals, as the shad.

an impetuous, dashing, or spirited man or youth.

Disparaging and Offensive. a contemptuous term used to refer to an American Indian male or a black male.

buckskin.

bucks, casual oxford shoes made of buckskin, often in white or a neutral color.

adjective

Military. of the lowest of several ranks involving the same principal designation, hence subject to promotion within the rank: buck private; buck sergeant.

Words nearby buck

buchman, buchmanism, buchner, buchner funnel, buchu, buck, buck and wing, buck bean, buck fever, buck for, buck moth

Origin of buck

before 1000; Middle English bukke, Old English bucca he-goat, bucc male deer; cognate with Dutch bok, German Bock, Old Norse bukkr; def. 5, 6 by shortening; buck private (from circa 1870) perhaps as extension of general sense “male,” i.e., having no status other than being male

Definition for buck (2 of 9)

buck²

[ buhk ]

/ bʌk /

verb (used without object)

(of a saddle or pack animal) to leap with arched back and come down with head low and forelegs stiff, in order to dislodge a rider or pack.

Informal. to resist or oppose obstinately; object strongly: The mayor bucked at the school board's suggestion.

(of a vehicle, motor, or the like) to operate unevenly; move by jerks and bounces.

verb (used with object)

to throw or attempt to throw (a rider or pack) by bucking.

to force a way through or proceed against (an obstacle): The plane bucked a strong headwind.

to strike with the head; butt.

to resist or oppose obstinately; object strongly to.

Football. (of a ball-carrier) to charge into (the opponent's line).

to gamble, play, or take a risk against: He was bucking the odds when he bought that failing business.

to press a reinforcing device against (the force of a rivet) in order to absorb vibration and increase expansion.

noun

an act of bucking.

Verb Phrases

buck for, to strive for a promotion or some other advantage: to buck for a raise.

buck up, to make or become more cheerful, vigorous, etc.: She knew that with a change of scene she would soon buck up.

Origin of buck

1855–60; verbal use of buck¹, influenced in some senses by buck³

Definition for buck (3 of 9)

buck³

[ buhk ]

/ bʌk /

noun

a 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)

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

First recorded in 1855–60; short for sawbuck¹

Definition for buck (4 of 9)

buck⁴

[ buhk ]

/ bʌk /

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

⁴

First recorded in 1860–65; short for buckhorn knife, an object which served this function

Definition for buck (5 of 9)

buck⁵

[ buhk ]

/ bʌk /

British Dialect

noun

lye used for washing clothes.

clothes washed in lye.

verb (used with object)

to wash or bleach (clothes) in lye.

Origin of buck

⁵

1350–1400; Middle English bouken (v.); compare Middle Low German buken, büken to steep in lye, Middle High German būchen, bruchen

Definition for buck (6 of 9)

buck⁶

[ buhk ]

/ bʌk /

verb (used without object), noun Indian English.

bukh.

Definition for buck (7 of 9)

buck⁷

[ buhk ]

/ bʌk /

adverb Informal.

completely; stark: buck naked.

Origin of buck

⁷

An Americanism dating back to 1925–30; of obscure origin

Definition for buck (8 of 9)

buck⁸

[ buhk ]

/ bʌk /

noun Slang.

a dollar.

Origin of buck

⁸

1855–60, Americanism; perhaps buck¹ in sense “buckskin”; deerskins were used by Indians and frontiersmen as a unit of exchange in transactions with merchants

Definition for buck (9 of 9)

Buck

[ buhk ]

/ bʌk /

noun

Pearl (Sy·den·strick·er)

[sahyd-n-strik-er] /ˈsaɪd nˌstrɪk ər/, 1892–1973, U.S. novelist: Nobel Prize 1938.

a male given name.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Examples from the Web for buck

Congress is attempting to pass the buck on federal funding for education.
The ‘No Child’ Rewrite Threatens Your Kids’ Future|Jonah Edelman|January 3, 2015|DAILY BEAST
President Harry Truman kept a sign on his desk that read: “The Buck Stops Here.”
The ‘No Child’ Rewrite Threatens Your Kids’ Future|Jonah Edelman|January 3, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Jamming Netanyahu at the UN will buck him up among the right.
Why We Should Delay The Israel-Palestinian Peace Process|Aaron David Miller|December 19, 2014|DAILY BEAST
And if she does buck that tide, it does not necessarily mean that it is end of the Warren for President boomlet.
Obama’s 2008 Backers: We’re Ready for Warren|David Freedlander|October 9, 2014|DAILY BEAST

In the tiny seaside town of Yacahts, Oregon, Buck Henderson is ready to die.
Are Routine Scans Causing Cancer?|Dale Eisinger|September 17, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The insidious revolt led by Buck had destroyed the solidarity of the team.
The Call of the Wild|Jack London
Next day he spread the buck's hide out on the ground and drenched it liberally with the product of deer-brains.
The Blazed Trail|Stewart Edward White
We did so with more than military obedience, and I saw a buck standing not more than a hundred yards in front of me.
Six Months at the Cape|R.M. Ballantyne
Men are a good deal like pintos; some you can coax and some you can bully, but they all of 'em buck at the first gate.
The Fifth Ace|Douglas Grant
Buck snarled like a dog and swatted the glass with his hand, knocking it halfway across the room.
The Draw|Jerome Bixby

British Dictionary definitions for buck (1 of 5)

buck¹

/ (bʌk) /

noun

the male of various animals including the goat, hare, kangaroo, rabbit, and reindeer
(as modifier)a buck antelope

Southern African an antelope or deer of either sex

US informal a young man

archaic a robust spirited young man

archaic a dandy; fop

the act of bucking

verb

(intr) (of a horse or other animal) to jump vertically, with legs stiff and back arched

(tr) (of a horse, etc) to throw (its rider) by bucking

(when intr , often foll by against) informal, mainly US and Canadian to resist or oppose obstinatelyto buck against change; to buck change

(tr; usually passive) informal to cheer or encourageI was very bucked at passing the exam

US and Canadian informal (esp of a car) to move forward jerkily; jolt

US and Canadian to charge against (something) with the head down; butt

Derived forms of buck

bucker, noun

Word 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

/ (bʌk) /

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

/ (bʌk) /

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

/ (bʌk) /

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

/ (bʌk) /

noun

Pearl S (ydenstricker). 1892–1973, 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

Idioms and Phrases with buck

buck

In addition to the idioms beginning with buck

buck for
buckle down
buckle under
buckle up
buck stops here, the
buck up

also see:

big bucks
fast buck
more bang for the buck
pass the buck

buck

noun

adjective

Words related to buck

Words nearby buck

Origin of buck

Definition for buck (2 of 9)

verb (used without object)

verb (used with object)

noun

Verb Phrases

Origin of buck

Definition for buck (3 of 9)

noun

verb (used with object)

Verb Phrases

Origin of buck

Definition for buck (4 of 9)

noun

verb (used with object)

Origin of buck

Definition for buck (5 of 9)

noun

verb (used with object)

Origin of buck

Definition for buck (6 of 9)

verb (used without object), noun Indian English.

Definition for buck (7 of 9)

adverb Informal.

Origin of buck

Definition for buck (8 of 9)

noun Slang.

Origin of buck

Definition for buck (9 of 9)

noun

Examples from the Web for buck

British Dictionary definitions for buck (1 of 5)

noun

verb

Derived forms of buck

Word Origin for buck

British Dictionary definitions for buck (2 of 5)

noun

Word Origin for buck

British Dictionary definitions for buck (3 of 5)

noun

verb

Word Origin for buck

British Dictionary definitions for buck (4 of 5)

noun

Word Origin for buck

British Dictionary definitions for buck (5 of 5)

noun

Idioms and Phrases with buck