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ruck
1[ ruhk ]
/ rÊŒk /
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noun
a large number or quantity; mass.
the great mass of undistinguished or inferior persons or things.
QUIZ
THINGAMABOB OR THINGUMMY: CAN YOU DISTINGUISH BETWEEN THE US AND UK TERMS IN THIS QUIZ?
Do you know the difference between everyday US and UK terminology? Test yourself with this quiz on words that differ across the Atlantic.
Question 1 of 7
In the UK, COTTON CANDY is more commonly known as…
Origin of ruck
11175–1225; Middle English ruke, perhaps <Scandinavian; compare Norwegian ruka in same senses; akin to rick1
Words nearby ruck
ruby-tail wasp, ruby-throated hummingbird, RUC, ruche, ruching, ruck, ruckle, ruckman, ruck-rover, rucksack, ruckus
Other definitions for ruck (2 of 2)
ruck2
[ ruhk ]
/ rÊŒk /
noun
a fold or wrinkle; crease.
verb (used with or without object)
to make or become creased or wrinkled.
Origin of ruck
2First recorded in 1780–90, ruck is from the Old Norse word hrukka a wrinkle
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use ruck in a sentence
British Dictionary definitions for ruck (1 of 4)
ruck1
/ (rÊŒk) /
noun
a large number or quantity; mass, esp of ordinary or undistinguished people or things
(in a race) a group of competitors who are well behind the leaders at the finish
rugby a loose scrum that forms around the ball when it is on the ground
Australian rules football the three players, two ruckmen and a rover, that do not have fixed positions but follow the ball closely
verb
(intr) rugby to try to win the ball by advancing over it when it is on the ground, driving opponents backward in the process
Word Origin for ruck
C13 (meaning ``heap of firewood''): perhaps from Scandinavian; compare Old Norse hraukr rick 1
British Dictionary definitions for ruck (2 of 4)
ruck2
/ (rÊŒk) /
noun
a wrinkle, crease, or fold
verb
(usually foll by up) to become or make wrinkled, creased, or puckered
Word Origin for ruck
C18: from Scandinavian; related to Old Norse hrukka
British Dictionary definitions for ruck (3 of 4)
ruck3
/ (rÊŒk) /
noun
prison slang a fight
Word Origin for ruck
C20: short for ruckus
British Dictionary definitions for ruck (4 of 4)
ruck4
/ (rÊŒk) /
noun
military slang a rucksack
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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