duck

1 of 4

noun (1)

ˈdək 

plural ducks

often attributive

1

or plural duck

a

: any of various swimming birds (family Anatidae, the duck family) in which the neck and legs are short, the feet typically webbed, the bill often broad and flat, and the sexes usually different from each other in plumage

—often used figuratively in phrases like have one's ducks in a row, get one's ducks in a row, or put one's ducks in a row to describe being or becoming thoroughly prepared or organized

Her program's 10-week curriculum … uses a budget book to help first-timers get their financial ducks in a row.

—Eileen Jenkins

I'm to prepare for a formal review in two weeks. Reserve a conference room. Get all my ducks in a row.

—Chuck Palahniuk

The association was set to move forward last spring, then realized it didn't have its ducks in a row and essentially requested a Congressional bailout.

—Pat Forde

I was sure I had all of my ducks in a row before the event finally arrived. Somehow, it didn't turn out as planned.

—Jerry Carlson

… had prepared for a year, meeting with institutional investors and putting its ducks in a row for public scrutiny for months …

—Alex Konrad

b

: the flesh of any of these birds used as food

The menu features roast duck.

2

: a female duck compare drake

3

: person, creature

You lucky duck!

see also odd duck

4

chiefly British : darling

—often used in plural but singular in construction

'You all right, ducks?' Mum asked. 'You've got no colour at all.'

—Nan Chauncy

Illustration of duck

• 1 bean
• 2 bill
• 3 nostril
• 4 head
• 5 eye
• 6 auricular region
• 7 neck
• 8 cape
• 9 shoulder
• 10 11 wing coverts
• 12 saddle
• 13 secondaries
• 14 primaries
• 15 rump
• 16 drake feathers
• 17 tail
• 18 tail coverts
• 19 down
• 20 shank
• 21 web
• 22 breast
• 23 wing front
• 24 wing bow

duck

2 of 4

verb

ducked; ducking; ducks

intransitive verb

1

a

: to lower the head or body suddenly : dodge

b

: bow, bob

2

a

: to move quickly

b

: to evade a duty, question, or responsibility

3

a

: to plunge under the surface of water

b

: to descend suddenly : dip

transitive verb

1

: to lower (the head, the body, etc.) quickly : bow

2

: avoid, evade

duck the issue

3

British : to thrust (someone or something) underwater : dunk

ducker noun

duck

3 of 4

noun (2)

: an instance of ducking

duck

4 of 4

noun (3)

1

: a durable closely woven usually cotton fabric

2

ducks plural : light clothes and especially trousers made of duck

Synonyms

Noun (1)

• baby
• being
• bird
• bod [British]
• body
• character
• cookie
• cooky
• creature
• customer
• devil
• egg
• face
• fish
• guy
• head
• human
• human being
• individual
• life
• man
• mortal
• party
• person
• personage
• scout
• slob
• sort
• soul
• specimen
• stiff
• thing
• wight

Verb

• avoid
• dodge
• elude
• escape
• eschew
• evade
• finesse
• get around
• scape
• shake
• shirk
• shuffle (out of)
• shun
• weasel (out of)

Examples of duck in a Sentence

Noun (1)

her coworkers regard her as something of an odd duck

Verb

The ceiling was so low I had to duck my head.

He ducked his head so they wouldn't see him.

We can't afford to duck the issue any longer.

They've been ducking each other for months.

She ducked into a store when it started to rain.

He ducked around a corner.

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

The 20th species was the wild turkey, which ducked under vehicle barriers 28 of the 32 times it was observed there, but went 0-for-46 at the small openings cut into border wall segments and rarely even approached the wall segments with 4-inch slots between posts. —Brandon Loomis, The Arizona Republic, 27 Nov. 2024

The staffer can be seen ducking inside a back room, then reappearing and shaking hands with someone, presumably Payne, inside the elevator. —Jami Ganz, New York Daily News, 14 Nov. 2024

Noun

Last month, 70 animals were transferred from the Moscow Zoo to the Central Zoo in Pyongyang, including an African lion, two bears, two yaks, 25 pheasants, 40 mandarin ducks and five cockatoos. —Joseph Epstein, Newsweek, 10 Dec. 2024

That's like a whole roast duck experience that could be great. —Bon Appétit, 2 Dec. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

Middle English duk, doke, from Old English dūce

Verb

Middle English douken; akin to Old High German tūhhan to dive, Old English dūce duck

Noun (3)

Dutch doek cloth; akin to Old High German tuoh cloth

First Known Use

Noun (1)

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 3

Noun (2)

1554, in the meaning defined above

Noun (3)

1640, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing duck

• black duck
• cold duck
• dead duck
• diving duck
• duck and drake
• duck-billed dinosaur
• duck-billed platypus
• duck call
• duck hook
• duck out
• duck sauce
• duck soup
• fish duck
• lame duck
• (like) water off a duck's back
• long-tailed duck
• lucky duck
• Muscovy duck
• odd duck
• Peking duck
• puddle duck
• ring-necked duck
• river duck
• ruddy duck
• sea duck
• sitting duck
• take to something like a duck (takes) to water
• wood duck

Kids Definition

duck

1 of 4 noun

ˈdək 

plural duck or ducks

: any of various typically web-footed swimming birds with the neck and legs short, the body heavy, the bill often broad and flat, and the males and females usually differing in color

also : the flesh of a duck used as food

duck

2 of 4 verb

1

: to thrust or plunge underwater

2

: to lower the head or body suddenly

3

: to move quickly : disappear suddenly

he ducked around the corner to escape detection

4

: to evade a duty, question, or responsibility : dodge entry 2

ducked our question

ducker noun

duck

3 of 4 noun

1

: a coarse usually cotton cloth

2

plural : clothes made of duck

duck

4 of 4 noun

: an amphibious truck

Etymology

Noun

Old English dūce "duck"

Verb

Middle English douken "thrust under water"

Noun

from Dutch doek "cloth"

Noun

altered form of DUKW, military code name for this vehicle

Medical Definition

duck

noun

ˈdək 

plural ducks or duck

: any of various swimming birds (family Anatidae, the duck family) in which the neck and legs are short, the feet typically webbed, the bill often broad and flat, and the sexes usually different from each other in plumage