Main Entry: ¹duck

Pronunciation: \ˈdək\

Function: noun

Inflected Form(s): plural ducks

Usage: often attributive

Etymology: Middle English duk, doke, from Old English dūce

Date: before 12th century

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 b : the flesh of any of these birds used as food
2 : a female duck — compare drake
3 chiefly British : darling —often used in plural but singular in construction
4 : person, creature

[duck illustration]