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 of puck

Noun (2)

• fairy
• elf
• goblin
• faerie

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

Ekblad, Roberto Luongo and Vincent Trocheck took part in the ceremonial puck drop before the game. —Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 3 Jan. 2026

Aubrey collected the puck in front of Bedard, Bertuzzi and the other Hawks to begin her shootout attempt. —Kalen Lumpkins, Chicago Tribune, 2 Jan. 2026

Hellebuyck made the initial save, but defenseman Luke Schenn knocked the puck into the net while trying to clear the crease. —CBS News, 1 Jan. 2026

With 5,280 Waterford crystals and LED light pucks, the ball features nearly double the number of crystals as the previous ball, according to a One Times Square news release. —Saman Shafiq, USA Today, 31 Dec. 2025

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

Rhymes for puck

• chuck
• cluck
• duck
• huck
• luck
• muck
• pluck
• ruck
• schmuck
• shuck
• snuck
• struck

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)"