duck
/dʌk/ verb A2- To quickly lower (the head or body), often in order to prevent it from being struck by something.
- To lower (something) into water; to thrust or plunge under liquid and suddenly withdraw.
- To go under the surface of water and immediately reappear; to plunge one's head into water or other liquid.
- To bow.
- To evade doing something, especially something considered a responsibility.
- To lower the volume of (a sound) so that other sounds in the mix can be heard more clearly.
- To enter a place for a short moment. · I'm just going to duck into the loo for a minute; can you hold my bag?
He/she/it ducks · Past ducked · Past participle ducked · -ing form ducking
Verb forms
- Base form
- duck
- He/she/it
- ducks
- Past
- ducked
- Past participle
- ducked
- -ing form
- ducking
Phrasal verbs and expressions
From the library
It was high time to go, for the pool was getting quite crowded with the birds and animals that had fallen into it: there were a Duck and a Dodo, a Lory and an Eaglet, and several other curious creatures.
“Found _what_?” said the Duck.
“I know what ‘it’ means well enough, when _I_ find a thing,” said the Duck: “it’s generally a frog or a worm.
“’Tis the voice of the Lobster; I heard him declare, “You have baked me too brown, I must sugar my hair.” As a duck with its eyelids, so he with his nose Trims his belt and his buttons, and turns out his toes.”
Other matches
- duck A cave passage containing water with low, or no... A2
- duck To surreptitiously leave a rubber duck on someo... C2
- duck A term of endearment C2
- duck A tightly-woven cotton or linen fabric, often u... C2
- duck Any of certain aquatic birds of the family Anat... C2
- duck down To crouch in order to hide or protect oneself.
- duck off To lie low
- duck out To depart quickly or exit abruptly, especially ...
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