duck
1[ duhk ]
/ dʌk /
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noun, plural ducks, (especially collectively for 1, 2) duck.
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QUIZ YOURSELF ON "WAS" VS. "WERE"!
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“Was” is used for the indicative past tense of “to be,” and “were” is only used for the subjunctive past tense.
Idioms about duck
water off a duck's back, something that has little or no effect: Our criticisms of his talk rolled off him like water off a duck's back.
Origin of duck
1Other definitions for duck (2 of 4)
duck2
[ duhk ]
/ dʌk /
verb (used without object)
verb (used with object)
noun
an act or instance of ducking.
Origin of duck
2First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English duken, douken; cognate with German tauchen “to dive,” ducken “to duck”
Other definitions for duck (3 of 4)
duck3
[ duhk ]
/ dʌk /
noun
a heavy, plain-weave cotton fabric for tents, clothing, bags, etc., in any of various weights and widths.
ducks, (used with a plural verb) slacks or trousers made of this material.
Origin of duck
3First recorded in 1630–40; from Dutch doek “cloth”; cognate with German Tuch
Other definitions for duck (4 of 4)
Origin of duck
4An Americanism dating back to 1940–45; by alteration
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022
How to use duck in a sentence
British Dictionary definitions for duck (1 of 4)
duck1
/ (dʌk) /
noun plural ducks or duck
Word Origin for duck
Old English dūce duck, diver; related to duck ²
British Dictionary definitions for duck (2 of 4)
duck2
/ (dʌk) /
verb
to move (the head or body) quickly downwards or away, esp so as to escape observation or evade a blow
to submerge or plunge suddenly and often briefly under water
(when intr, often foll by out) informal to dodge or escape (a person, duty, etc)
(intr) bridge to play a low card when possessing a higher one rather than try to win a trick
noun
the act or an instance of ducking
Derived forms of duck
ducker, nounWord Origin for duck
C14: related to Old High German tūhhan to dive, Middle Dutch dūken
British Dictionary definitions for duck (3 of 4)
Word Origin for duck
C17: from Middle Dutch doek; related to Old High German tuoh cloth
British Dictionary definitions for duck (4 of 4)
duck4
/ (dʌk) /
noun
an amphibious vehicle used in World War II
Word Origin for duck
C20: from code name DUKW
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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Other Idioms and Phrases with duck
duck
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.