puck

1 of 2

noun (1)

ˈpək 

plural pucks

1

: a vulcanized rubber disk used in ice hockey

2

: something (such as a food item) that resembles a puck

It is imperative to remove the coffee puck after each brew.

—Ethan Miller

The gourmet burger revolution has swept into backyards and decks, as home cooks forgo frozen pucks of beef for fresh homemade patties.

—Eric Vellend

There are GPS pucks in all buses that track the bus.

—Tina Deetz, quoted in UWIRE Text

puck

2 of 2

noun (2)

plural pucks

1

: a mischievous sprite : hobgoblin

specifically, Puck : robin goodfellow

2

archaic : an evil spirit : demon

Synonyms

Noun (2)

• brownie
• dwarf
• elf
• faerie
• faery
• fairy
• fay
• gnome
• goblin
• gremlin
• hobgoblin
• kobold
• leprechaun
• pixie
• pixy
• sprite
• troll

Examples of puck in a Sentence

Noun (2)

dreamed that her garden was the secret meeting place of pucks and sprites

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

With the puck at Campbell’s feet, Krizova swooped in and poked it into the net. —Dean Spiros, Twin Cities, 14 May 2024

And, as expected, the crowd is piling on a smattering of boos any time Sam Bennett touches the puck. —Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 13 May 2024

Colorado lost its top postseason scorer (Val Nichushkin, suspension) and its second-best defenseman (Devon Toews) roughly an hour to puck drop. —Sean Keeler, The Denver Post, 13 May 2024

These are guys who can win the game without shooting the puck. —Dieter Kurtenbach, The Mercury News, 7 May 2024

Andreas Englund and Viktor Arvidsson made the goal possible, quickly moving the puck the length of the ice in two passes, freeing Lizotte to score on a wrister from the right circle. —Kevin Baxter, Los Angeles Times, 2 May 2024

Edmonton was ready to celebrate long before the puck dropped in Game 5. —Kevin Baxter, Los Angeles Times, 2 May 2024

The Panthers’ opening-round, best-of-7 series against the in-state rival Tampa Bay Lightning is scheduled for a 12:30 p.m. puck drop on Sunday at Amerant Bank Arena, with the game being televised on ESPN nationally and Bally Sports Florida locally. —Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 18 Apr. 2024

In a case of being at the right place at the right time, Smith was recording as a rogue puck struck from the ice soared into the stands, heading straight toward Davis and her 4-year-old, Nasir. —George Solis, NBC News, 14 Apr. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

English dialect puck to poke, hit, probably from Irish poc butt, stroke in hurling, literally, buck (male deer)

Noun (2)

Middle English puke, from Old English pūca; akin to Old Norse pūki devil

First Known Use

Noun (1)

1886, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun (2)

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Kids Definition

puck

1 of 2 noun

ˈpək 

: a fairy or spirit who plays tricks on human beings

puck

2 of 2 noun

: a rubber disk used in ice hockey

Etymology

Noun

Old English pūca "evil spirit"

Noun

from a dialect word puck "to hit, poke," probably from Irish poc "butt, stroke in hurling," literally, "buck (male deer)"