*duck*

[ See Buffalo. ] (Zool.) A small duck (Charitonetta albeola); the spirit duck, or butterball. The head of the male is covered with numerous elongated feathers, and thus appears large. Called also bufflehead. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. A duck used to lure wild ducks into a decoy; hence, a person employed to lure others into danger. Beau. & Fl. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Cf. Dan. dukke, Sw. docka, OHG. doccha, G. docke. Cf. Doxy. ] A pet; a darling. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ D. doek cloth, canvas, or Icel. dūkr cloth; akin to OHG. tuoh, G. tuch, Sw. duk, Dan. dug. ] 1. A linen (or sometimes cotton) fabric, finer and lighter than canvas, -- used for the lighter sails of vessels, the sacking of beds, and sometimes for men's clothing. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Naut.) pl. The light clothes worn by sailors in hot climates. [ Colloq. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Ducked p. pr. & vb. n. Ducking. ] [ OE. duken, douken, to dive; akin to D. duiken, OHG. t&unr_;hhan, MHG. tucken, tücken, t&unr_;chen, G. tuchen. Cf. 5th Duck. ] 1. To thrust or plunge under water or other liquid and suddenly withdraw. [ 1913 Webster ]

Adams, after ducking the squire twice or thrice, leaped out of the tub. Fielding. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To plunge the head of under water, immediately withdrawing it; as, duck the boy. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. To bow; to bob down; to move quickly with a downward motion. “ Will duck his head aside.” Swift. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. i. 1. To go under the surface of water and immediately reappear; to dive; to plunge the head in water or other liquid; to dip. [ 1913 Webster ]

In Tiber ducking thrice by break of day. Dryden. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To drop the head or person suddenly; to bow. [ 1913 Webster ]

The learned pate
Ducks to the golden fool. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ OE. duke, doke. See Duck, v. t. ] 1. (Zool.) Any bird of the subfamily Anatinæ, family Anatidæ. [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ The genera and species are numerous. They are divided into river ducks and sea ducks. Among the former are the common domestic duck (Anas boschas); the wood duck (Aix sponsa); the beautiful mandarin duck of China (Dendronessa galeriliculata); the Muscovy duck, originally of South America (Cairina moschata). Among the sea ducks are the eider, canvasback, scoter, etc. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. A sudden inclination of the bead or dropping of the person, resembling the motion of a duck in water. [ 1913 Webster ]

Here be, without duck or nod,
Other trippings to be trod. Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

Bombay duck (Zool.), a fish. See Bummalo. --
Buffel duck,
Spirit duck. See Buffel duck. --
Duck ant (Zool.), a species of white ant in Jamaica which builds large nests in trees. --
Duck barnacle. (Zool.) See Goose barnacle. --
Duck hawk. (Zool.) (a) In the United States: The peregrine falcon. (b) In England: The marsh harrier or moor buzzard. --
Duck mole (Zool.), a small aquatic mammal of Australia, having webbed feet and a bill resembling that of a duck (Ornithorhynchus anatinus). It belongs the subclass Monotremata and is remarkable for laying eggs like a bird or reptile; -- called also duckbill, platypus, mallangong, mullingong, tambreet, and water mole. --
To make ducks and drakes, to throw a flat stone obliquely, so as to make it rebound repeatedly from the surface of the water, raising a succession of jets; hence:
To play at ducks and drakes, with property, to throw it away heedlessly or squander it foolishly and unprofitably. --
Lame duck. See under Lame. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (Zool.) See Duck mole, under Duck, n. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Having a bill like that of a duck; as, a duck-billed dinosaur.. [ 1913 Webster ]

adj. 1. having a beak resembling that of a duck.
Syn. -- duckbill, duckbilled. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

a. same as Duck Mole, under Duck..
Syn. -- duck mole, duckbill, duck-bill platypus, platypus. [ PJC ]

n. 1. One who, or that which, ducks; a plunger; a diver. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. A cringing, servile person; a fawner. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. & a., from Duck, v. t. & i. [ 1913 Webster ]

Ducking stool, a stool or chair in which common scolds were formerly tied, and plunged into water, as a punishment. See Cucking stool. The practice of ducking began in the latter part of the 15th century, and prevailed until the early part of the 18th, and occasionally as late as the 19th century. Blackstone. Chambers. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Having short legs, like a waddling duck; short-legged. Dryden. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. A young or little duck. Gay.

a. Having the form of a duck's bill. [ 1913 Webster ]

Duck's-bill limpet (Zool.), a limpet of the genus Parmaphorus; -- so named from its shape. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (Bot.) The May apple (Podophyllum peltatum). [ 1913 Webster ]

{ , n. (Bot.) Duckweed. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (Bot.) A genus (Lemna) of small plants, seen floating in great quantity on the surface of stagnant pools fresh water, and supposed to furnish food for ducks; -- called also duckmeat. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. 1. fine; satisfactory; excellent. [ informal ] [ PJC ]

2. charming; cute. [ informal ] [ PJC ]

n. a special loved one; a darling; -- used as a term of endearment. [ Brit. ]
Syn. -- darling, favorite, favourite, pet, dearie, deary. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. (Zoöl.) The red-breasted merganser (Merganser serrator). [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ American Indian name. ] (Zool.) A gigantic clam (Glycimeris generosa) of the Pacific coast of North America, highly valued as an article of food. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ G. haiduck, heiduck, fr. Hung. hajdu. ] Formerly, a mercenary foot soldier in Hungary, now, a halberdier of a Hungarian noble, or an attendant in German or Hungarian courts. [ Written also hayduck, haiduk, heiduc, heyduck, and heyduk. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

n. A showy crested Asiatic duck (Aix galericulata, formerly Dendronessa galericulata), often domesticated, and regarded by the Chinese as an emblem of conjugal affection. [ 1913 Webster + WordNet 1.5 ]

[ A corruption of musk duck. ] (Zool.) A duck (Cairina moschata), larger than the common duck, often raised in poultry yards. Called also musk duck. It is native of tropical America, from Mexico to Southern Brazil. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Cf. G. ravenstuch. ] A fine quality of sailcloth. Ham. Nav. Encyc. [ 1913 Webster ]

(Zool.) Any one of numerous species of ducks which frequent the seacoasts and feed mainly on fishes and mollusks. The scoters, eiders, old squaw, and ruddy duck are examples. They may be distinguished by the lobate hind toe. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Sheld variegated + duck. ] (Zool.) The sheldrake. [ Written also shellduck. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

{ } n. [ See Sheldrake. ] (Zool.) The common European sheldrake. [ Prov. Eng. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

(Zool.) The American eider duck. [ Local, U.S. ] [ 1913 Webster ]