definitions

buck

1
[ buhk ]
/ bʌk /
|
SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR buck ON THESAURUS.COM

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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RELATED WORDS

bull, withstand, oppose, stag, traverse, duel, combat, jerk, contest, dislodge, bound, fight, jump, start, leap, repel, prance, throw, unseat, vault

Nearby words

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

Origin of buck

1
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)

Origin of buck

2
1855–60; verbal use of buck1, influenced in some senses by buck3

Definition for buck (3 of 9)

buck

3
[ 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

3
First recorded in 1855–60; short for sawbuck1

Definition for buck (4 of 9)

buck

4
[ 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)

buck

5
[ 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)

buck

6
[ buhk ]
/ bʌk /

verb (used without object), noun Indian English.

bukh.

Definition for buck (7 of 9)

buck

7
[ 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)

buck

8
[ 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. 2019

Examples from the Web for buck

British Dictionary definitions for buck (1 of 5)

buck

1
/ (bʌk) /

noun

verb

See also buck up
Derived Formsbucker, 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)

buck

2
/ (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)

buck

3
/ (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)

buck

4
/ (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
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.