chuck

1 of 5

verb (1)

chucked; chucking; chucks
: cluck

chuck

2 of 5

noun (1)

used as an endearment

chuck

3 of 5

verb (2)

chucked; chucking; chucks

transitive verb

1
: pat, tap
2
a
: toss, throw
b
: discard
chucked his old shirt
chuck it out with the trash
c
: dismiss, oust
used especially with out
was chucked out of office
3
: give up
chucked his job

chuck

4 of 5

noun (2)

1
: a pat or nudge under the chin
2
: an abrupt movement or toss

chuck

5 of 5

noun (3)

1
: a cut of beef that includes most of the neck, the parts about the shoulder blade, and those about the first three ribs see beef illustration
2
chiefly Western US : food
3
: an attachment for holding a workpiece or tool in a machine (such as a drill or lathe)

Examples of chuck in a Sentence

Verb (2) after the power outage we reluctantly chucked everything that had been sitting in the fridge I swear, I have half a mind to chuck this job and become a hermit! chucked a wad of paper at his friend's back Noun (3) after a long day, the cowboys lined up for some chuck
Recent Examples on the Web
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Verb
Kinda hard not to if Gaga chucked a popcorn bag at your head. Jade Gomez, Peoplemag, 24 Sep. 2024 The team is selling pieces of the goalpost, which fans ripped up and chucked into the Cumberland River. Axios Nashville, Axios, 8 Oct. 2024
Noun
Storer uses beef chuck, but she’s also used top round or top sirloin roast. Betty Hallock, Los Angeles Times, 22 Sep. 2024 The fundamental ingredients in this recipe consist of chuck or beef roast, butter, soup or gravy flavoring mix, ranch dressing mix, and pepperoncini peppers. Krissy Tiglias, Southern Living, 13 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for chuck 

Word History

Etymology

Verb (1)

Middle English chukken, of imitative origin

Noun (1)

perhaps from chuck chicken

Verb (2)

origin unknown

Noun (3)

English dialect chuck lump

First Known Use

Verb (1)

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Noun (1)

1595, in the meaning defined above

Verb (2)

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun (2)

1611, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun (3)

1723, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of chuck was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near chuck

Cite this Entry

“Chuck.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/chuck. Accessed 16 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

chuck

1 of 3 verb
1
: to give a pat or a tap to
chucked the child under the chin
2
: toss sense 2
let's chuck the ball around

chuck

2 of 3 noun
1
: a pat or nudge under the chin
2
: an easy throw : toss

chuck

3 of 3 noun
1
: a portion of a side of dressed beef including most of the neck and the parts around the shoulder blade and the first three ribs
2
: a device for holding work or a tool in a machine
Etymology

Verb

origin unknown

Noun

English dialect chuck "lump"

More from Merriam-Webster on chuck

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!