Duck

• POS: Noun, Verb (usu participle), Verb (intransitive)

OXFORD DICTIONARY

Duck, n. (pl. same or ducks)
1 a any of various swimming-birds of the family Anatidae, esp. the domesticated form of the mallard or wild duck. b the female of this (opp. DRAKE). c the flesh of a duck as food.
2 Cricket (in full duck's-egg) the score of a batsman dismissed for nought.
3 (also ducks) Brit. colloq. (esp. as a form of address) dear, darling.

Idiom

duck-hawk
1 Brit. a marsh-harrier.
2 US a peregrine. ducks and drakes a game of making a flat stone skim along the surface of water. duck's arse sl. a haircut with the hair on the back of the head shaped like a duck's tail. duck soup US sl. an easy task. like a duck to water adapting very readily. like water off a duck's back colloq. (of remonstrances etc.) producing no effect. play ducks and drakes with colloq. squander.

Duck, v. & n.
--v.
1 intr. & tr. plunge, dive, or dip under water and emerge (ducked him in the pond).
2 intr. & tr. bend (the head or the body) quickly to avoid a blow or being seen, or as a bow or curtsy; bob (ducked out of sight; ducked his head under the beam).
3 tr. & intr. colloq. avoid or dodge; withdraw (from) (ducked out of the engagement; ducked the meeting).
4 intr. Bridge lose a trick deliberately by playing a low card.
--n.
1 a quick dip or swim.
2 a quick lowering of the head etc.

Idiom

ducking-stool hist. a chair fastened to the end of a pole, which could be plunged into a pond, used formerly for ducking scolds etc.

Derivative

ducker n.

Duck, n.
1 a strong untwilled linen or cotton fabric used for small sails and the outer clothing of sailors.
2 (in pl.) trousers made of this (white ducks).

Duck, n. colloq. an amphibious landing-craft.

Etymology

DUKW, its official designation

THESAURUS

Duck

Adamite, Bantam, Cornish hen, about the bush, also-ran, angel, avert, avoid, avoidance, avoiding reaction, babe, baby, baby-doll, back and fill, banty, baptism, baptize, barn-door fowl, barnyard fowl, bastard, beat around, beg the question, being, bend, bend the knee, biddy, bilk, bird, blench, blink, bob, body, booby, bow, broiler, brooder, broody hen, bugger, burial, bury, buttercup, caille, canard, caneton, capon, case, cat, chanticleer, chap, chapon, character, cherub, chick, chickabiddy, chicken, chicky, circumvention, cock, cockerel, creature, cringe, crouch, curtsy, customer, darling, dear, deary, defeatee, defense mechanism, deluge, dindon, dip, dipping, dive, dodge, dog it, doll, domestic fowl, double, douse, dousing, drake, draw back, draw in, drown, duck duty, ducking, duckling, dunghill fowl, dunk, dunking, earthling, elude, elusion, elusiveness, engulf, engulfment, equivocate, equivocation, escape, eschew, evade, evasion, evasive action, evasiveness, fade, faisan, fall back, fall guy, fallback, feller, fellow, fence, flinch, float, flood, flow on, forbearance, forestalling, forestallment, fowl, fryer, game fowl, game loser, gander, genuflect, genuflection, get out of, getting around, gobbler, goldbrick, good loser, good sport, goof off, goose, gosling, groundling, grouse, guinea cock, guinea fowl, guinea hen, guy, hand, hang back, head, hedge, hem and haw, hen, hen turkey, homo, hon, honey, honey bunch, honey child, hum and haw, human, human being, immerge, immergence, immerse, immersion, individual, inundate, inundation, jasper, jib, jink, joker, kneel, kneeling, kowtow, lad, lamb, lambkin, life, living soul, loser, love, lover, make a reverence, malinger, man, merge, mince the truth, mince words, mortal, neutrality, nod, nonintervention, noninvolvement, nose, not pull fair, obeisance, oddball, oddity, oie, one, original, overwhelm, palter, parry, partlet, partridge, party, person, personage, personality, pet, petkins, pheasant, pigeon, pigeonneau, plunge, plunge in water, poulard, poulet, poult, poultry, pour on, precious, precious heart, prevaricate, prevent, prevention, prostration, pull away, pull back, pull in, pull out, pullback, pullet, pullout, pussyfoot, put off, quail, quiz, rain, recoil, reel back, refraining, retract, retreat, reverence, roaster, rooster, salaam, setting hen, sheer off, shift, shift off, shirk, shrink, shrink back, shun, shunning, shunting off, shy, shy away, shy off, sidestep, sidestepping, sidetracking, single, sink, sinking, skulk, slack, slide out of, slip, slip out of, sluice, sneak out of, snookums, soldier, somebody, someone, soul, souse, sousing, spook, sport, spring chicken, squab, squat, start aside, start back, steer clear of, step aside, stewing chicken, stooge, stoop, stud, submerge, submergence, submerse, submersion, sugar, supination, swamp, sweet, sweetheart, sweetie, sweetkins, sweets, swerve, tellurian, tergiversate, terran, the runaround, the vanquished, tom, tom turkey, turkey, turkey gobbler, turkey-cock, turn aside, underdog, victim, volaille, waffle, ward, ward off, weasel, weasel out, welsh, whelm, wild duck, wince, withdraw, worldling, zigzag, zombie

ROGET THESAURUS

Duck

Love

N love, fondness, liking, inclination, regard, dilection, admiration, fancy, affection, sympathy, fellow-feeling, tenderness, heart, brotherly love, benevolence, attachment, yearning, eros, tender passion, amour, gyneolatry, gallantry, passion, flame, devotion, fervor, enthusiasm, transport of love, rapture, enchantment, infatuation, adoration, idolatry, Cupid, Venus, myrtle, true lover's knot, love token, love suit, love affair, love tale, love story, the, old story, plighted love, courtship, amourette, free love, maternal love, storge, parental love, young love, puppy love, attractiveness, popularity, favorite, lover, suitor, follower, admirer, adorer, wooer, amoret, beau, sweetheart, inamorato, swain, young man, flame, love, truelove, leman, Lothario, gallant, paramour, amoroso, cavaliere servente, captive, cicisbeo, caro sposo, inamorata, ladylove, idol, darling, duck, Dulcinea, angel, goddess, cara sposa, betrothed, affianced, fiancee, flirt, coquette, amorette, pair of turtledoves, abode of love, agapemone, loving, fond of, taken with, struck with, smitten, bitten, attached to, wedded to, enamored, charmed, in love, love-sick, over head and ears in love, head over heels in love, affectionate, tender, sweet upon, sympathetic, loving, amorous, amatory, fond, erotic, uxorious, ardent, passionate, rapturous, devoted, motherly, loved, beloved well beloved, dearly beloved, dear, precious, darling, pet, little, favorite, popular, congenial, after one's mind, after one's taste, after one's fancy, after one's own heart, to one's mind, to one's taste, to one's fancy, to one's own heart, in one's good graces, dear as the apple of one's eye, nearest to one's heart, lovable, adorable, lovely, sweet, attractive, seductive, winning, charming, engaging, interesting, enchanting, captivating, fascinating, bewitching, amiable, like an angel, amantes amentes, credula res amor est, militat omnis amasius, love conquers all, omnia vincit amor, si vis amari ama, the sweetest joy, the wildest woe.

Favorite

N favorite, pet, cosset, minion, idol, jewel, spoiled child, enfant gat_e, led captain, crony, fondling, apple of one's eye, man after one's own heart, persona grata, love dear, darling, duck, duckey, honey, sugar, jewel, mopsey, moppet, princess, sweetheart, sweetie, teacher's pet, general favorite, universal favorite, idol of the people.

Depression

VB depress, lower, let down, take down, let down a peg, take down a peg, cast, let drop, let fall, sink, debase, bring low, abase, reduce, detrude, pitch, precipitate, overthrow, overturn, overset, upset, subvert, prostate, level, fell, cast down, take down, throw down, fling down, dash down, pull down, cut down, knock down, hew down, raze, raze to the ground, rase to the ground, trample in the dust, pull about one's ears, sit, sit down, couch, squat, crouch, stoop, bend, bow, courtesy, curtsy, bob, duck, dip, kneel, bend the knee, bow the knee, bend the head, bow the head, cower, recline.

Plunge

VB plunge, dip, souse, duck, dive, plump, take a plunge, take a header, make a plunge, bathe, submerge, submerse, immerse, douse, sink, engulf, send to the bottom, get out of one's depth, go to the bottom, go down like a stone, drop like a lead balloon, founder, welter, wallow.

Water

VB be watery, reek, add water, water, wet, moisten, dilute, dip, immerse, merge, immerge, submerge, plunge, souse, duck, drown, soak, steep, macerate, pickle, wash, sprinkle, lave, bathe, affuse, splash, swash, douse, drench, dabble, slop, slobber, irrigate, inundate, deluge, syringe, inject, gargle.

Animal

N animal, animal kingdom, fauna, brute creation, beast, brute, creature, critter, wight, created being, creeping thing, living thing, dumb animal, dumb creature, zoophyte, mammal, bird, reptile, amphibian, fish, crustacean, shellfish, mollusk, worm, insect, arthropod, microbe, microbe, animalcule, alligator, crocodile, saurian, dinosaur (extinct), snake, serpent, viper, eft, asp, aspick, frog, toad, trout, bass, tuna, muskelunge, sailfish, sardine, mackerel, ant, mosquito, bee, honeybee, tardigrade, spider, biped, quadruped, webfoot, flocks and herds, live stock, domestic animals, wild animals, game, ferae naturae, beasts of the field, fowls of the air, denizens of the sea, black game, black grouse, blackcock, duck, grouse, plover, rail, snipe, horse, cattle, kine, ox, bull, bullock, cow, milch cow, calf, heifer, shorthorn, sheep, lamb, lambkin, ewe, ram, tup, pig, swine, boar, hog, sow, steer, stot, tag, teg, bison, buffalo, yak, zebu, dog, cat, dog, hound, pup, puppy, whelp, cur, mongrel, house dog, watch dog, sheep dog, shepherd's dog, sporting dog, fancy dog, lap dog, toy dog, bull dog, badger dog, mastiff, blood hound, grey hound, stag hound, deer hound, fox hound, otter hound, harrier, beagle, spaniel, pointer, setter, retriever, Newfoundland, water dog, water spaniel, pug, poodle, turnspit, terrier, fox terrier, Skye terrier, Dandie Dinmont, collie, feline, puss, pussy, grimalkin, gib cat, tom cat, fox, Reynard, vixen, stag, deer, hart, buck, doe, roe, caribou, coyote, elk, moose, musk ox, sambar, bird, poultry, fowl, cock, hen, chicken, chanticleer, partlet, rooster, dunghill cock, barn door fowl, feathered tribes, feathered songster, singing bird, dicky bird, canary, warbler, finch, aberdevine, cushat, cygnet, ringdove, siskin, swan, wood pigeon, vermin, varmint, pest, animal, zoological equine, bovine, vaccine, canine, feline, fishy, piscatory, piscatorial, molluscous, vermicular, gallinaceous, rasorial, solidungulate, soliped.