duck
High-frequencyInformal (in endearment), Neutral (in most literal senses), Technical (in cricket, sailing).
Definition
Meaning
a common waterbird with a broad flat bill, short legs, and webbed feet; to lower the head or body quickly to avoid being hit or seen.
A zero score in cricket (from 'duck's egg', shaped like a zero). A quick lowering of the head. A canvas/cloth used for tents/sails (from 'doek', Dutch for cloth). A term of endearment ('duck' or 'ducky').
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
The noun has multiple unrelated senses (bird, cloth, score, endearment). The verb is most commonly associated with physical avoidance or evasion.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
In UK: 'duck' or 'ducky' as a friendly, often regional, form of address, especially in the Midlands/North ('Sit down, duck'). In US: 'duck' is rarely used as an endearment.
Connotations
In cricket (UK/Commonwealth), 'duck' carries strong negative sporting connotations. In US, connotations are primarily neutral/zoological or related to the verb action.
Frequency
Noun (bird) equally common in both varieties. Verb equally common. Noun (endearment) is UK-specific and regionally common.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
Subject + duckSubject + duck + Adjunct (under/behind)Subject + duck + out of + NP (responsibility)Subject + duck + NP (a punch, a question)Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “sitting duck”
- “take to something like a duck to water”
- “lame duck”
- “like water off a duck's back”
- “duck out”
- “get one's ducks in a row”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
'He's a lame duck CEO until the board appoints a successor.'
Academic
'The study observed mallard ducks (Anas platyrhynchos) in their wetland habitat.'
Everyday
'Duck! The ball's coming right at you!' / 'We fed the ducks at the park.'
Technical
'The sail is made from heavyweight cotton duck.' / 'The batsman was out for a golden duck.'
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- He had to duck as he came through the low doorway.
- She tried to duck out of the meeting early.
American English
- Duck! The branch is low!
- The politician ducked the reporter's question.
adjective
British English
- She bought a duck-egg blue paint for the nursery.
- He wore a duck-down jacket.
American English
- The decoy was a duck silhouette.
- We ordered the duck confit.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- Look at the yellow duck in the bath!
- The baby ducks followed their mother.
- You should duck your head when entering the cave.
- There are many different types of duck on the lake.
- He always ducks his responsibilities when things get difficult.
- The new senator is determined not to be a lame duck.
- She took to the new software like a duck to water, mastering it in a day.
- Criticism of his policy seems to roll off him like water off a duck's back.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
A DUCK Ducks: The word describes both the animal and the quick downward motion it makes when feeding underwater.
Conceptual Metaphor
AVOIDANCE IS DUCKING (e.g., 'duck a question', 'duck responsibility').
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Do not confuse with 'утка' (utka) meaning 'false news' or 'hoax' in Russian. In English, 'duck' does not have this connotation.
- The verb 'duck' (уклониться) is more physical/spatial than Russian 'избегать' which is broader.
Common Mistakes
- Incorrect: 'He ducked from the question.' Correct: 'He ducked the question.'
- Confusing 'duck' (cloth) with 'duct' (pipe/channel).
Practice
Quiz
What does 'lame duck' typically refer to in a business/political context?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No, it is primarily a British regionalism (especially Midlands/Northern England). It sounds unusual or archaic to American ears.
'Duck' implies a quick, often downward, motion of the head or whole body to avoid something. 'Dodge' is a broader, more sidestepping movement to avoid something coming at you.
It originates from 'duck's egg'. The shape of the number '0' was thought to resemble a duck's egg. The phrase was shortened to just 'duck'.
Yes. As a bird, it is countable ('three ducks'). As meat, it is usually uncountable ('I ate some duck'). The cloth is uncountable ('made of duck').