buck

1 of 6

noun (1)

plural bucks
1
a informal
(1)
: dollar sense 3b
I only had a buck in my pocket.
Dinner cost twenty bucks.
(2)
: a sum of money especially to be gained
make a quick buck
also : money
usually used in plural
making the big bucks
b
US slang
used in place of "hundred" in combination with other numbers
… as much at ease going 40 in First as it is doing a buck-twenty [=120 miles an hour] down the freeway …Hot Rod
2
or plural buck : a male animal
especially : a male deer or antelope
3
a
: a male human being : man
b
: a dashing fellow : dandy
4
or plural buck : antelope
5
: buckskin
also : an article (such as a shoe) made of buckskin
6
[short for sawbuck sawhorse]
a
: a supporting rack or frame
b
: a short thick leather-covered block for gymnastic vaulting

buck

2 of 6

verb

bucked; bucking; bucks

intransitive verb

1
of a horse or mule : to spring into the air with the back arched
2
: to charge against something
3
a
: to move or react jerkily
b
: to refuse assent : balk
4
: to strive for advancement sometimes without regard to ethical behavior
bucking for a promotion

transitive verb

1
a
: oppose, resist
bucking the system
b
archaic : butt entry 3
2
: to throw or dislodge (a rider) by bucking
3
: to move or charge into
bucking a headwind
4
a
: to pass especially from one person to another
b
: to move or load (heavy or cumbersome objects) especially with mechanical equipment
bucker noun

buck

3 of 6

noun (2)

: an act or instance of bucking

buck

4 of 6

adverb

: stark, completely
buck naked

buck

5 of 6

noun (3)

1
: responsibility
used especially in the phrases pass the buck and the buck stops here
2
: an object formerly used in poker to mark the next player to deal
broadly : a token used as a mark or reminder

buck

6 of 6

adjective

: of the lowest grade within a military category or rank
Because he had not yet taken the Army's basic artillery course, he had to make do with a crash course from a buck sergeant … , who tutored him aboard the troopship General Walker.Peter J. Boyer
see also buck private

Examples of buck in a Sentence

Verb the car bucked and stalled bucked the trend to outdo everyone else and just wore the same clothes they had in previous years
Recent Examples on the Web
Verb
The 38-year-old Ohio native drew attacks from the other candidates at Wednesday’s debate centering on his age and political inexperience, as well as foreign policy beliefs that buck traditional GOP orthodoxy about the United States’ role as leader of the free world. Carlos De Loera, Los Angeles Times, 29 Aug. 2023 This week brings bike rides, bucking broncos and surfing stars to San Diego, as well as a celebrated Pride event in the South Bay. The Hub, San Diego Union-Tribune, 20 Aug. 2023 Consumers’ slight trepidation bucks a recent trend of sharp upswings in optimism. Alicia Wallace, CNN, 25 Aug. 2023 Led by Byrne and Pearson, the outfit is also bucking the more fatigued advertising landscape. Julian Sancton, The Hollywood Reporter, 21 Aug. 2023 These women bucked tradition and popped the question to their boyfriends. Carly Breit, Peoplemag, 7 Aug. 2023 In that corner hangs images of cowboys riding bucking horses. Gina Mayfield, Dallas News, 7 Aug. 2023 And Trump has shown a willingness to buck loyalty pledges before. Max Greenwood The Miami Herald (tns), Arkansas Online, 17 Aug. 2023 In fact, their waning numbers bucks a longstanding trend in which the number of people with over $50 million in assets quadrupled since the Great Financial Crisis. Paolo Confino, Fortune, 15 Aug. 2023
Noun
Most of these offer basic phone, text, and GPS capabilities at a bigger bang for your buck than the average smartphone. Sona Charaipotra, Parents, 13 Sep. 2023 Given the quality of material and construction, the Maine shoemaker offers just about the best bang for your buck in the slip-on shoe game. Brad Lanphear, Men's Health, 8 Sep. 2023 Corvettes, of course, have always delivered tremendous performance for the buck. Csaba Csere, Car and Driver, 7 Sep. 2023 Instead, the buck lunged into the South Texas brush, his tail tucked tight. Will Brantley, Field & Stream, 7 Sep. 2023 Breaking the buck Allaire has shown a clear willingness to move faster than the speed of regulators—a hallmark approach for tech founders, but a dangerous game for the head of a financial institution with over $40 billion in assets under management. Leo Schwartz, Fortune Crypto, 6 Sep. 2023 As China’s economy slows, the buck stops with leader Xi Jinping There are ripple effects on the world stage, too. Ishaan Tharoor, Washington Post, 5 Sep. 2023 High-profile folks own their own content and make a substantial buck from it on OnlyFans, unlike many other platforms. Los Angeles Times Staff, Los Angeles Times, 1 Sep. 2023 At $25 per pair, these might be the best value (bang for your buck) insoles for plantar fasciitis sufferers on the market. Mike Richard, Women's Health, 31 Aug. 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'buck.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

Middle English, from Old English bucca stag, he-goat; akin to Old High German boc he-goat, Middle Irish bocc

Adverb

origin unknown

Noun (3)

short for earlier buckhorn knife

Adjective

probably from buck entry 1

First Known Use

Noun (1)

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

Verb

1750, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1b

Noun (2)

circa 1877, in the meaning defined above

Adverb

1928, in the meaning defined above

Noun (3)

1865, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Adjective

1918, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of buck was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near buck

Cite this Entry

“Buck.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/buck. Accessed 22 Sep. 2023.

Kids Definition

buck

1 of 4 noun
plural bucks
1
or plural buck : a male animal
especially : a male deer or antelope
2
3
b
: a sum of money especially to be gained
make a quick buck

buck

2 of 4 verb
1
a
: to spring into the air with the back arched
a bucking horse
b
: to throw (as a rider) by bucking
2
: to move or act against the action of
bucking a storm
buck a trend
3
: to move or start jerkily
bucker noun

buck

3 of 4 noun
: an act or instance of bucking

buck

4 of 4 noun
: responsibility
pass the buck
Etymology

Noun

short for buckhorn knife, formerly used in poker to mark the next player to deal

Biographical Definition

Buck 1 of 2

biographical name (1)

Linda B. 1947–     American biologist

Buck

2 of 2

biographical name (2)

Pearl 1892–1973 née Sydenstricker ˈsī-dᵊn-ˌstri-kər How to pronounce Buck (audio) American novelist

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