Definition

1. Noun:

   • A mechanical holding device: A chuck is a tool, often part of a lathe or drill, with adjustable jaws that grip and center a workpiece or a tool.
   • A cut of meat: A chuck is a cut of beef from the shoulder and neck area of the animal.
   • Informal term for food: (Informal) Chuck can refer to a meal or food in general.

2. Verb:

   • To vomit: (Informal) To chuck means to eject the contents of one's stomach through the mouth; to vomit.
   • To throw carelessly: To chuck means to throw something in a casual, careless, or forceful manner.
   • To discard or throw away: To chuck means to get rid of something, to discard it.
   • To touch affectionately: To chuck means to pat or squeeze someone, especially under the chin, in a playful or fond way.

Examples of Usage

• Noun (Mechanical Device):

  • He tightened the chuck on the drill to secure the bit.
  • The machinist inserted the metal rod into the lathe's chuck.

• Noun (Cut of Meat):

  • She bought a chuck roast to make a stew.
  • Chuck steak is often used for braising.

• Noun (Informal: Food):

  • Let's go get some chuck. (Let's go get some food.)

• Verb (To Vomit):

  • He felt sick and had to chuck.
  • The bad milk made her chuck.

• Verb (To Throw):

  • Chuck me the remote, please.
  • He chucked the ball over the fence.

• Verb (To Discard):

  • It's time to chuck these old magazines.
  • She decided to chuck her broken phone.

• Verb (To Touch Affectionately):

  • He chuckled and chucked his daughter under the chin.

Advanced Usage

• "to chuck it in": (British, informal) To give up, quit, or stop doing something.

  • He was so frustrated with the project that he decided to chuck it in.

• "to chuck someone out": To force someone to leave a place, especially a pub or house; to eject or expel.

  • The bouncer chucked the troublemaker out of the bar.

• "to chuck up": (Informal) To vomit. Also, to quit or abandon something.

  • The smell made him feel like chucking up.
  • He chucked up his job and went traveling.

Variants and Related Words

• Chuckhole (n): (Chiefly US) A pothole in a road.
• Chuckwagon (n): A wagon equipped with food and cooking facilities, historically for cowboys.
• Woodchuck (n): A North American rodent; a groundhog.

Synonyms

• Verb (Throw): Toss, fling, hurl, lob.
• Verb (Discard): Dump, ditch, jettison, dispose of.
• Verb (Vomit): Puke, barf, spew, regurgitate.

Related Phrasal Verbs

• Chuck away: To discard or waste something.
  • Don't chuck away this opportunity.
• Chuck out: To discard something, or to eject someone.
  • We need to chuck out all this junk.
  • They were chucked out for being too noisy.
• Chuck up: (See "Advanced Usage" above).

Related Idioms

• "Chuck it!": (Informal, imperative) An exclamation meaning "Stop it!" or "That's enough!".
  • Chuck it! I've heard enough of your complaining.
• "Chuck one's weight about/around": (British, informal) To act in a bossy or bullying manner.
  • He got promoted and now he's just chucking his weight around the office.
• "Chuck (in) the towel": To give up or admit defeat (from boxing, where a trainer throws a towel into the ring to stop the fight).
  • After failing the exam three times, she finally chucked in the towel.

Noun

1. a holding device consisting of adjustable jaws that center a workpiece in a lathe or center a tool in a drill
2. the part of a forequarter from the neck to the ribs and including the shoulder blade
3. informal terms for a meal

Verb

1. eject the contents of the stomach through the mouth
   • After drinking too much, the students vomited
   • He purged continuously
   • The patient regurgitated the food we gave him last night
2. pat or squeeze fondly or playfully, especially under the chin
3. throw away
   • Chuck these old notes
4. throw carelessly
   • chuck the ball