chuck

[ chuhk ]

/ tʃʌk /

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verb (used with object)

to toss; throw with a quick motion, usually a short distance: Chuck that book to me, will you?

Informal. to resign from; relinquish; give up: He's chucked his job.

to pat, tap, or stroke lightly, as under the chin: She chucks her grown son under his chin as if he were still a baby.

Informal. to eject (a person) from a public place (often followed by out): They chucked him from the bar.I've been chucked out of better places than this!

Slang. to vomit; upchuck: It's the third time this week the dog's chucked his dinner.

noun

a light pat, tap, or stroke, as under the chin: Let Grammy give her angel a little chuck.

a toss or pitch; a short throw: Give it a chuck over here.

a sudden jerk or change in direction: She gave the toboggan a chuck and we all tumbled off into the snow.

OTHER WORDS FOR chuck

1 fling, pitch, heave, hurl.

See synonyms for chuck on Thesaurus.com

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CAN YOU ANSWER THESE COMMON GRAMMAR DEBATES?

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Question 1 of 7

Which sentence is correct?

His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Idioms about chuck

chuck it, British Slang. stop it; shut up: Sorry for snapping, but your children don't know when to chuck it!

Origin of chuck

First recorded in 1575–85; origin uncertain; psossibly from French choquer “to knock, clash;” cf. shock¹

Other definitions for chuck (2 of 7)

chuck²

[ chuhk ]

/ tʃʌk /

noun

the cut of beef between the neck and the shoulder blade: Braise the chuck and you'll have a tender, inexpensive piece of meat.

a block or log used as a chock: Have you got a chuck I can use to keep my wagon from rolling?

Machinery.

a device for centering and clamping work in a lathe or other machine tool: You can't do the fine lathe work on the spindles without a proper chuck.
a device for holding a drill bit: This drill has a keyless chuck, which is great for jobs requiring frequent bit changes.

verb (used with object)

Machinery. to hold or secure with a chuck: A poorly chucked drill bit is neither efficient nor safe.

Origin of chuck

First recorded in 1665–75; variant of chock; see chunk¹

Other definitions for chuck (3 of 7)

chuck³

[ chuhk ]

/ tʃʌk /

verb (used with or without object)

to cluck: The hypnotist made them chuck like chickens!A mother hen is chucking her chicks to come to her side.

noun

a clucking sound: We heard a loud chuck and saw him dashing from the henhouse with our prized layer.

Archaic. (used as a term of endearment): my love, my chuck.

Origin of chuck

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English chuk, expressive word, apparently imitative

Other definitions for chuck (4 of 7)

chuck⁴

[ chuhk ]

/ tʃʌk /

noun Western U.S. Slang.

food or provisions, as on a cattle ranch or trail: By the time we stopped for some chuck, I was too dang tired to eat.

Origin of chuck

⁴

First recorded in 1840–50; special use of chuck²

Other definitions for chuck (5 of 7)

chuck⁵

[ chuhk ]

/ tʃʌk /

noun Informal.

woodchuck: Those blasted chucks have wiped out our entire garden.

Origin of chuck

⁵

By shortening

Other definitions for chuck (6 of 7)

chuck⁶

[ chuhk ]

/ tʃʌk /

noun Canadian Slang.

water: Just give me some fresh air and clean chuck.

any body of water: Lordy, that Lake Nipigon is a beautiful chuck.

Origin of chuck

⁶

First recorded in 1855–60; from Chinook Jargon, probably from Nuu-chah-nulth (Nootka) čʾaʔak “water,” reinforced by Lower Chinook ł-čuq “water”

Other definitions for chuck (7 of 7)

Chuck

[ chuhk ]

/ tʃʌk /

noun

a male given name, form of Charles.

Older Slang: Usually Disparaging and Offensive.

a term used to refer to a white person.
white society, culture, and values.

usage note for Chuck

Chuck in its slang sense was used especially in the 1960s and 1970s by Black people. This use arose by analogy with Mister Charlie, a slang term used in the same sense and also derived from a nickname for Charles.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use chuck in a sentence

Elimination is your watchword, whether chucking 20th century memorabilia or relationships hinged on reminiscence.
Horoscopes: May 29-June 4, 2011|Starsky + Cox|May 28, 2011|DAILY BEAST
He might pay their debts, that was one thing; it was another to make their gallery beautiful by chucking their pictures.
The Life of James McNeill Whistler|Elizabeth Robins Pennell
As a matter of fact, I wouldn't blame Mrs. Clephane, nor any other woman, for chucking such a husband out of the boat.
The Cab of the Sleeping Horse|John Reed Scott
You can only get what you want, what your soul wants, by chucking away all that you have.
Up and Down|Edward Frederic Benson

But I heard, presently, that he had told her he was "chucking the army."
My Little Sister|Elizabeth Robins
"Chucking you off of a train without waiting for the train to stop, that's what," expounded the aggrieved Mr. Stanton.
Back Home|Irvin S. Cobb

British Dictionary definitions for chuck (1 of 4)

chuck¹

/ (tʃʌk) /

verb (mainly tr)

informal to throw

to pat affectionately, esp under the chin

(sometimes foll by in or up) informal to give up; rejecthe chucked up his job; she chucked her boyfriend

(intr usually foll by up) slang, mainly US to vomit

chuck off at Australian and NZ informal to abuse or make fun of

noun

a throw or toss

a playful pat under the chin

the chuck informal dismissal

Word Origin for chuck

C16: of unknown origin

British Dictionary definitions for chuck (2 of 4)

chuck²

/ (tʃʌk) /

noun

Also called: chuck steak a cut of beef extending from the neck to the shoulder blade

Also called: three jaw chuck a device that holds a workpiece in a lathe or tool in a drill, having a number of adjustable jaws geared to move in unison to centralize the workpiece or tool
Also called: four jaw chuck, independent jaw chuck a similar device having independently adjustable jaws for holding an unsymmetrical workpiece

Word Origin for chuck

C17: variant of chock

British Dictionary definitions for chuck (3 of 4)

chuck³

/ (tʃʌk) /

verb

(intr) a less common word for cluck (def. 2)

noun

a clucking sound

a term of endearment

Word Origin for chuck

C14 chukken to cluck, of imitative origin

British Dictionary definitions for chuck (4 of 4)

chuck⁴

/ (tʃʌk) /

noun Canadian West coast

a large body of water

short for saltchuck

Word Origin for chuck

C19: from Chinook Jargon, from Nootka chauk

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

chuck

OTHER WORDS FOR chuck

Idioms about chuck

Origin of chuck

Other definitions for chuck (2 of 7)

Origin of chuck

Other definitions for chuck (3 of 7)

Origin of chuck

Other definitions for chuck (4 of 7)

Origin of chuck

Other definitions for chuck (5 of 7)

Origin of chuck

Other definitions for chuck (6 of 7)

Origin of chuck

Other definitions for chuck (7 of 7)

usage note for Chuck

Words related to chuck

How to use chuck in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for chuck (1 of 4)

Word Origin for chuck

British Dictionary definitions for chuck (2 of 4)

Word Origin for chuck

British Dictionary definitions for chuck (3 of 4)

Word Origin for chuck

British Dictionary definitions for chuck (4 of 4)

Word Origin for chuck