duck

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   A common water bird with a flat beak, short legs, and webbed feet.

   The children fed bread to the ducks at the pond.

2. 2
   verb

   To lower your head or body quickly, especially to avoid being hit.

   He ducked just in time to avoid the low branch.

3. 3
   verb

   To avoid a duty or something difficult that you should do.

   She tried to duck the question by changing the subject.

4. 4
   verb

   To push someone or something briefly under water.

   His friends ducked him in the pool as a joke.

From Dutch doek, from Middle Dutch doeck, doec (“linen cloth”), from Old Dutch *dōc, from Proto-West Germanic *dōk, from Proto-Germanic *dōkaz (“cloth, rag”), from Proto-Indo-European *dwōg-, *dwōk-. Cognate with German Tuch (“cloth”), Swedish duk (“cloth, canvas”), Icelandic dúkur (“cloth, fabric”). Doublet of doek.

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