buck¹ (bŭk)

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[Middle English bukke, from Old English buc, male deer,, bucca, male goat.]

noun 

1. 1. The adult male of some animals, such as the deer, antelope, or rabbit.
   2. Antelope considered as a group: a herd of buck.
2. 1. A robust or high-spirited young man.
   2. A fop.
3. Offensive A Native American or Black man.
4. An act or instance of bucking: a horse that unseated its rider on the first buck.
5. 1. Buckskin.
   2. bucks. Buckskin breeches or shoes.

verb: bucked, buck·ing, bucks. 

intransitive verb 

1. To leap upward arching the back: The horse bucked in fright.
2. To charge with the head lowered; butt.
3. To make sudden jerky movements; jolt: The motor bucked and lurched before it finally ran smoothly.
4. To resist stubbornly and obstinately; balk.
5. Informal To strive with determination: bucking for a promotion.

transitive verb 

1. To throw or toss by bucking: buck off a rider; bucked the packsaddle off its back.
2. To oppose directly and stubbornly; go against: “Los Angeles County, the most populous county in the country, is bucking the trend” (American Demographics)
3. Football To charge into (an opponent's line) carrying the ball.
4. Archaic To butt against with the head.

adjective 

Of the lowest rank in a specified military category: a buck private; a buck sergeant.

phrasal verbs

buck up

To summon one's courage or spirits; hearten: My friends tried to buck me up after I lost the contest.

derivatives

bucḱer

noun

buck² (bŭk)

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[Alteration (influenced by buck¹), of Dutch bok, male goat, trestle, from Middle Dutch boc.]

noun 

1. A sawhorse or sawbuck.
2. A leather-covered frame used for gymnastic vaulting.

buck³ (bŭk)

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[Short for buckskin (from its use in trade).]

noun 

1. A dollar.
2. An amount of money: working overtime to make an extra buck.

buck⁴ (bŭk)

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[Short for buckhorn knife (from its use as a marker in poker).]

noun 

1. A counter or marker formerly passed from one poker player to another to indicate an obligation, especially one's turn to deal.
2. Informal Obligation to account for something; responsibility: tried to pass the buck for the failure to his boss.

transitive verb: bucked, buck·ing, bucks. 

To pass (a task or duty) to another, especially so as to avoid responsibility: “We will see the stifling of initiative and the increased bucking of decisions to the top” (Winston Lord)

idioms

the buck stops here

The ultimate responsibility rests here.