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duck 2 (dŭk)
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v. ducked, duck·ing, ducks
v.tr.
1. To lower quickly, especially so as to avoid something: ducked his head as the ball came toward him.
2. To evade; dodge: duck responsibility; ducked the reporter's question.
3. To push (a person, for example) suddenly under water.
4. In bridge, to deliberately play a card that is lower than (an opponent's card).
v.intr.
1. To lower the head or body.
2. To move swiftly, especially so as to escape being seen: ducked behind a bush.
3. To submerge the head or body briefly in water.
4. To evade a responsibility or obligation. Often used with out: duck out on one's family.
5. In bridge, to lose a trick by deliberately playing lower than one's opponent.
n.
1. A quick lowering of the head or body.
2. A plunge under water.
[Middle English douken, to dive, possibly from Old English *dūcan; akin to Middle Low German and Middle Dutch dūken.]
ducker n.
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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