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
Location, building quality can be critical Newer buildings in desirable locations have held strong with leasing and bucking the vacancy trend, Taute said. Corina Vanek, The Arizona Republic, 11 Mar. 2024 Moser, also the movie’s cinematographer, imbues each sprawling establishing landscape shot and intimate office interior with the appearance of a modern streaming procedural, bucking notions of visual realism in favor of high-contrast teals and immensely shallow focus. Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 9 Mar. 2024 This year’s crop of best-costume nominees isn’t doing much to buck that trend. Liam Hess, Vogue, 8 Mar. 2024 At least the platform has figured out how to buck the trend of patients opting for in-person doctor’s visits rather than their online alternatives. Susan Howson, Quartz, 3 Mar. 2024 All the other operators so far have been good guys on the side of the Rainbow faction, but Deimos bucks that trend and in the cinematic reveal trailer is shown trying to take down members of Rainbow before being captured. Mike Stubbs, Forbes, 24 Feb. 2024 Fort Worth Mayor Mattie Parker bucked the trend of most prominent Texas politicians by endorsing former United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley for president. Harrison Mantas, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 5 Mar. 2024 The former Destiny’s Child star has bucked that trend, and earned a special new No. 1 in the process. Hugh McIntyre, Forbes, 2 Mar. 2024 But a handful of states have bucked that trend, sending transplants into the Golden State at a time when more people are moving out. Terry Castleman, Los Angeles Times, 29 Feb. 2024
Noun
The most vocal of the co-founders, Mikey Shulman, a boyishly charming, backpack-toting 37-year-old with a Harvard Ph.D. in physics, envisions a billion people worldwide paying 10 bucks a month to create songs with Suno. Brian Hiatt, Rolling Stone, 17 Mar. 2024 Instead of paying $400 a month or thereabouts for insulin—which only costs ten bucks to make—[people] with diabetes only pay $35 a month now and [companies] still make a healthy profit. Anisa Arsenault, Verywell Health, 8 Mar. 2024 The deposit minimums are very low — usually only a few bucks at a time, depending on the method. Sponsored Content, The Mercury News, 7 Mar. 2024 Players paid mega-millions want to feel like at least a million bucks. Steve Henson, Los Angeles Times, 23 Feb. 2024 But the best deal of all is night skiing with all the jolly locals with a Friday night ticket for just five bucks. Todd Plummer, Travel + Leisure, 2 Mar. 2024 While higher prices typically indicate higher quality and more special features, there's plenty of bang for your buck in the vacuums closer to $100 as well. Madison Yauger, Peoplemag, 1 Mar. 2024 Outdoor Life has reported on several of these unique critters in the past, including a leucistic whitetail buck that a hunter killed in Virginia last November, and the giant leucistic flathead catfish that was caught in Nebraska in October. Dac Collins, Outdoor Life, 29 Feb. 2024 They were released with maybe a couple hundreds bucks from the state and few if any options other than a quick slide into homelessness. Erika D. Smith, Los Angeles Times, 25 Feb. 2024

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 28 Mar. 2024.

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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