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chuck 1 (chŭk)
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tr.v. chucked, chuck·ing, chucks
1. To pat or squeeze fondly or playfully, especially under the chin.
2.
a. To throw or toss: chucked stones into the water.
b. Informal To throw out; discard: chucked my old sweater.
c. Informal To force out; eject: chucking out the troublemakers.
3. Informal To give up; quit: chucked her job.
n.
1. An affectionate pat or squeeze under the chin.
2. A throw, toss, or pitch.
[Variant of chock, possibly from French choc, knock, blow; see SHOCK1.]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2022 by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.
 
chuck 2 (chŭk)
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n.
1. A cut of beef extending from the neck to the ribs and including the shoulder blade.
2.
a. A clamp that holds a tool or the material being worked in a machine such as a lathe.
b. A clamping device for holding a drill bit.
3. Informal Food.
[Dialectal chuck, lump, perhaps variant of CHOCK.]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2022 by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.
 
chuck 3 (chŭk)
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intr.v. chucked, chuck·ing, chucks
To make a clucking sound.
n.
A clucking sound.
[Middle English chukken, of imitative origin.]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2022 by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.
 

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

    Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

    Indo-European Roots

    Semitic Roots

    The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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