buck

1 of 6

noun (1)

ˈbək 

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

Synonyms

Noun (1)

• beau
• Beau Brummell
• dandy
• dude
• fop
• gallant
• jay
• lounge lizard
• macaroni
• pretty boy

Verb

• hitch
• hoick
• jerk
• jolt
• twitch
• yank

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

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

Phrases Containing buck

• buck-and-wing
• bang for one's buck
• buck naked
• buck the system
• big buck
• buck for (something)
• buck private
• make a buck
• buck up
• fast/quick buck
• buck fever
• buck passer
• the buck stops here
• The buck stops here with me
• pass the buck
• bang for the buck

See More

• buck-and-wing
• bang for one's buck
• buck naked
• buck the system
• big buck
• buck for (something)
• buck private
• make a buck
• buck up
• fast/quick buck
• buck fever
• buck passer
• the buck stops here
• The buck stops here with me
• pass the buck
• bang for the buck

See More

Kids Definition

buck

1 of 4 noun

ˈbək 

plural bucks

1

or plural buck : a male animal

especially : a male deer or antelope

2

a

: man entry 1 sense 1a

b

: dandy sense 1

3

a

: dollar sense 3b

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)

ˈbək 

Linda B. 1947–     American biologist

Buck

2 of 2

biographical name (2)

Pearl 1892–1973 née Sydenstricker ˈsī-dᵊn-ˌstri-kər  American novelist