Definition

1. Noun:

   • A waterbird: A common swimming bird with a broad bill, short legs, webbed feet, and a characteristic waddling walk. Ducks are often domesticated for their eggs, meat, or as ornamental birds.
   • The meat of this bird: The flesh of a duck used as food.
   • A score of zero in cricket: A batsman's score of zero runs. Informally called a "duck's egg."
   • A durable cotton fabric: A strong, plain-woven cotton cloth used historically for sails and trousers.

2. Verb:

   • To lower the head or body quickly: To move the head or the whole body down suddenly, especially to avoid being hit or seen.
   • To avoid something: To evade a duty, question, or issue.
   • To push someone under water: To submerge someone briefly in water, often playfully.
   • To dip or plunge into liquid: To lower something, or oneself, quickly into a liquid.

Examples

• Noun:

  • The pond was full of ducks and ducklings.
  • We're having roast duck for dinner.
  • The batsman was out for a duck.
  • He wore trousers made of sturdy duck.

• Verb:

  • He had to duck to avoid hitting his head on the low beam.
  • The politician tried to duck the reporter's question.
  • The older boys ducked him in the swimming pool as a joke.
  • She ducked her head under the shower.

Advanced Usage

• "To duck out": To leave a place quickly or secretly, often to avoid something.

  • I'm going to duck out of the meeting early.

• "To duck into": To enter a place quickly to hide or avoid something.

  • We ducked into a café to escape the rain.

• "Lame duck": A person or enterprise that is ineffective, powerless, or failing.

  • The outgoing president was considered a lame duck.

Variants and Related Words

• Ducky (adj, informal): Charming or delightful. (Now somewhat dated.)
• Duckling (n): A young duck.
• Duckbill (n): An animal with a bill like a duck, such as the platypus.

Synonyms

• Noun (bird): Waterfowl, drake (male), hen (female).
• Verb (avoid): Evade, dodge, sidestep, skirt.
• Verb (lower head): Dip, bob, crouch.

Related Phrasal Verbs

• Duck down: To lower oneself quickly to the ground.

  • Duck down behind the wall so they don't see us.

• Duck under: To go beneath something by bending down.

  • You'll have to duck under this branch.

Related Idioms

• Like water off a duck's back: Criticism or advice that has no effect on someone.

  • My warnings about being late are like water off a duck's back to him.

• Take to something like a duck to water: To learn a new skill or adapt to a situation very easily and naturally.

  • She took to programming like a duck to water.

• Get one's ducks in a row: To get organized and prepared.

  • I need to get my ducks in a row before the audit.

Noun

1. a heavy cotton fabric of plain weave; used for clothing and tents
2. flesh of a duck (domestic or wild)
3. (cricket) a score of nothing by a batsman
4. small wild or domesticated web-footed broad-billed swimming bird usually having a depressed body and short legs

Verb

1. avoid or try to avoid fulfilling, answering, or performing (duties, questions, or issues)
   • He dodged the issue
   • she skirted the problem
   • They tend to evade their responsibilities
   • he evaded the questions skillfully
2. dip into a liquid
   • He dipped into the pool
3. submerge or plunge suddenly
4. to move (the head or body) quickly downwards or away
   • Before he could duck, another stone struck him