ducket
Definition
- Noun (chiefly US, slang):
- A union card: "ducket" refers to a membership card or identification card issued by a labor union, often used to prove membership or eligibility to work in a specific trade.
Usage Examples
- Noun:
- He showed his ducket to the foreman to prove he was a member of the electricians' union. (He displayed his union membership card.)
- Without a ducket, it was impossible to get a job on the construction site. (Without a union card, employment was not possible.)
Advanced Usage
"to carry a ducket": to be a member of a labor union.
- All the workers on the crew carried a ducket from the same union. (All workers were union members.)
"to lose one's ducket": to lose union membership or have it revoked.
- After failing to pay dues, he lost his ducket and could no longer work in the trade. (He lost his union card and was barred from union jobs.)
Variants and Related Words
- Duck (n): a term for a union member (rare and informal; not directly related to the bird).
- He's a duck in the carpenters' union. (He is a union carpenter.)
Synonyms
- Union card: a membership card for a labor union.
- Union ticket: another slang term for a union membership document.
Related Idioms
- Show your ducket: to demonstrate union membership or credentials.
- When the inspector arrived, the workers had to show their ducket to continue working. (They had to prove their union affiliation.)
Notes
- This term is highly specific to American labor union slang and is not commonly used outside of that context. It may be considered outdated or regional.