buck

1
[ buhk ]
See synonyms for buck on Thesaurus.com
noun
  1. the male of the deer, antelope, rabbit, hare, sheep, or goat.

  2. the male of certain other animals, as the shad.

  1. an impetuous, dashing, or spirited man or youth.

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

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

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

Origin of buck

1
First recorded before 1000; Middle English bukke, Old English bucca “he-goat,” bucc “male deer”; cognate with Dutch bok, German Bock, Old Norse bukkr; defs. 5, 6, by shortening

Words Nearby buck

Other definitions for buck (2 of 9)

buck2
[ buhk ]

verb (used without object)
  1. (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.

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

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

verb (used with object)
  1. to throw or attempt to throw (a rider or pack) by bucking.

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

  1. to strike with the head; butt.

  2. to resist or oppose obstinately; object strongly to.

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

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

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

noun
  1. an act of bucking.

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

  2. 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

2
First recorded in 1845–50; verbal use of buck1, influenced in some senses by buck3

Other definitions for buck (3 of 9)

buck3
[ buhk ]

noun
  1. a sawbuck; sawhorse.

  2. 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.

  1. any of various heavy frames, racks, or jigs used to support materials or partially assembled items during manufacture, as in airplane assembly plants.

  2. 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)
  1. U.S. and Canadian to split or saw (logs, felled trees, etc.).

Verb Phrases
  1. 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

Other definitions for buck (4 of 9)

buck4
[ buhk ]

noun
  1. Poker. any object in the pot that reminds the winner of some privilege or obligation when their turn to deal next comes.

verb (used with object)
  1. 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, used as a reminder in poker

Other definitions for buck (5 of 9)

buck5
[ buhk ]

adverbInformal.
  1. completely; stark: buck naked.

Origin of buck

5
An Americanism dating back to 1925–30; of obscure origin

Other definitions for buck (6 of 9)

buck6
[ buhk ]

nounSlang.
  1. a dollar.

Origin of buck

6
An Americanism dating to 1855–60; perhaps buck1 in sense “buckskin” (deerskins were used by Indians and frontiersmen as a unit of exchange in transactions with merchants)

Other definitions for buck (7 of 9)

buck7
[ buhk ]

verb (used without object), nounIndian English.

Other definitions for buck (8 of 9)

buck8
[ buhk ]

noun
  1. lye used for washing clothes.

  2. clothes washed in lye.

verb (used with object)
  1. to wash or bleach (clothes) in lye.

Origin of buck

8
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English verb bouken; compare Middle Low German buken, büken “to steep in lye,” Middle High German būchen, German bäuchen, beuchen

Other definitions for Buck (9 of 9)

Buck
[ buhk ]

noun
  1. Pearl (Sy·den·strick·er) [sahyd-n-strik-er], /ˈsaɪd nˌstrɪk ər/, 1892–1973, U.S. novelist: Nobel Prize 1938.

  2. a male given name.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use buck in a sentence

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

  1. Southern African an antelope or deer of either sex

  1. US informal a young man

  2. archaic a robust spirited young man

  3. archaic a dandy; fop

  4. the act of bucking

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

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

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

  2. (tr; usually passive) informal to cheer or encourage: I was very bucked at passing the exam

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

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

Origin of buck

1
Old English bucca he-goat; related to Old Norse bukkr, Old High German bock, Old Irish bocc

Derived forms of buck

  • bucker, noun

British Dictionary definitions for buck (2 of 5)

buck2

/ (bʌk) /


noun
  1. US, Canadian and Australian informal a dollar

  2. Southern African informal a rand

  1. a fast buck easily gained money

  2. bang for one's buck See bang 1 (def. 15)

Origin of buck

2
C19: of obscure origin

British Dictionary definitions for buck (3 of 5)

buck3

/ (bʌk) /


noun
  1. gymnastics a type of vaulting horse

  2. US and Canadian a stand for timber during sawing: Also called (in Britain and certain other countries): sawhorse

verb
  1. (tr) US and Canadian to cut (a felled or fallen tree) into lengths

Origin of buck

3
C19: short for sawbuck

British Dictionary definitions for buck (4 of 5)

buck4

/ (bʌk) /


noun
  1. poker a marker in the jackpot to remind the winner of some obligation when his turn comes to deal

  2. pass the buck informal to shift blame or responsibility onto another

  1. the buck stops here informal the ultimate responsibility lies here

Origin of buck

4
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
  1. 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

Other 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.