buck
1
[ buhk ]
/ bʌk /
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.
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
Words nearby buck
buchman,
buchmanism,
buchner,
buchner funnel,
buchu,
buck,
buck and wing,
buck bean,
buck fever,
buck for,
buck moth
Definition for buck (2 of 9)
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 /
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)
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.
Example sentences from the Web for buck
British Dictionary definitions for buck (1 of 5)
buck
1
/ (bʌk) /
noun
verb
See also
buck up
Derived forms of buck
bucker, nounWord 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 sawing
Also 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
Idioms and Phrases with buck
buck