Duck vs. Ruck

Duckverb

(intransitive) To quickly lower the head or body in order to prevent it from being struck by something.

Rucknoun

A throng or crowd of people or things; a mass, a pack.

Duckverb

(transitive) To quickly lower (the head) in order to prevent it from being struck by something.

Rucknoun

In Australian rules football

Duckverb

(transitive) To lower (something) into water; to thrust or plunge under liquid and suddenly withdraw.

Rucknoun

A contest in games in which the ball is thrown or bounced in the air and two players from opposing teams attempt to give their team an advantage, typically by tapping the ball to a teammate.

Duckverb

(intransitive) To go under the surface of water and immediately reappear; to plunge one's head into water or other liquid.

Rucknoun

A player who competes in said contests; a ruckman or ruckwoman.

Duckverb

(intransitive) To bow.

Rucknoun

Either of a ruckman or a ruck rover, but not a rover.

Duckverb

(transitive) To evade doing something.

Rucknoun

Any one of a ruckman, a ruck rover or a rover; a follower.

Duckverb

(transitive) To lower the volume of (a sound) so that other sounds in the mix can be heard more clearly.

Rucknoun

(rugby union) The situation formed when a player carrying the ball is brought to the ground and one or more members of each side are engaged above the ball, trying to win possession of it; a loose scrum.

Duckverb

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?’;

Rucknoun

The common mass of people or things; the ordinary ranks.

Ducknoun

An aquatic bird of the family Anatidae, having a flat bill and webbed feet.

Rucknoun

A crease, a wrinkle, a pucker, as on fabric.

Ducknoun

Specifically, an adult female duck; contrasted with drake and with duckling.

Rucknoun

A rucksack; a large backpack.

Ducknoun

(uncountable) The flesh of a duck used as food.

Rucknoun

A small heifer.

Ducknoun

(cricket) A batsman's score of zero after getting out. (short for duck's egg, since the digit "0" is round like an egg.)

Ruckverb

To act as a ruck in a stoppage in Australian rules football.

Ducknoun

(slang) A playing card with the rank of two.

Ruckverb

To contest the possession of the ball in a ruck.

Ducknoun

A partly-flooded cave passage with limited air space.

Ruckverb

(transitive) To crease or fold.

Ducknoun

A building intentionally constructed in the shape of an everyday object to which it is related.

‘A luncheonette in the shape of a coffee cup is particularly conspicuous, as is intended of an architectural duck or folly.’;

Ruckverb

(intransitive) To become folded.

Ducknoun

A marble to be shot at with another marble (the shooter) in children's games.

Ruckverb

To cower or huddle together; to squat; to sit, as a hen on eggs.

Ducknoun

(US) A cairn used to mark a trail.

Ruckverb

To carry a backpack while hiking or marching.

Ducknoun

One of the weights used to hold a spline in place for the purpose of drawing a curve.

Rucknoun

A roc.

Ducknoun

A tightly-woven cotton fabric used as sailcloth.

Rucknoun

A wrinkle or crease in a piece of cloth, or in needlework.

Ducknoun

(in plural) Trousers made of such material.

Rucknoun

A heap; a rick.

Ducknoun

A term of endearment; pet; darling.

‘And hold-fast is the only dog, my duck (William Shakespeare - The Life of King Henry the Fifth, Act 2, Scene 3).’;

Rucknoun

The common sort, whether persons or things; as, the ruck in a horse race.

‘The ruck in society as a whole.’;

Ducknoun

(Midlands) Dear, mate (informal way of addressing a friend or stranger).

‘Ay up duck, ow'a'tha?’;

Ruckverb

To draw into wrinkles or unsightly folds; to crease; as, to ruck up a carpet.

Ducknoun

A pet; a darling.

Ruckverb

To cower; to huddle together; to squat; to sit, as a hen on eggs.

‘The sheep that rouketh in the fold.’;

Ducknoun

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.

Rucknoun

a crowd especially of ordinary or undistinguished persons or things;

‘his brilliance raised him above the ruck’; ‘the children resembled a fairy herd’;

Ducknoun

The light clothes worn by sailors in hot climates.

Rucknoun

an irregular fold in an otherwise even surface (as in cloth)

Ducknoun

Any bird of the subfamily Anatinæ, family Anatidæ.

Ruckverb

become wrinkled or drawn together;

‘her lips puckered’;

Ducknoun

A sudden inclination of the bead or dropping of the person, resembling the motion of a duck in water.

‘Here be, without duck or nod,Other trippings to be trod.’;

Duckverb

To thrust or plunge under water or other liquid and suddenly withdraw.

‘Adams, after ducking the squire twice or thrice, leaped out of the tub.’;

Duckverb

To plunge the head of under water, immediately withdrawing it; as, duck the boy.

Duckverb

To bow; to bob down; to move quickly with a downward motion.

Duckverb

To go under the surface of water and immediately reappear; to dive; to plunge the head in water or other liquid; to dip.

‘In Tiber ducking thrice by break of day.’;

Duckverb

To drop the head or person suddenly; to bow.

‘The learned pateDucks to the golden fool.’;

Ducknoun

small wild or domesticated web-footed broad-billed swimming bird usually having a depressed body and short legs

Ducknoun

(cricket) a score of nothing by a batsman

Ducknoun

flesh of a duck (domestic or wild)

Ducknoun

a heavy cotton fabric of plain weave; used for clothing and tents

Duckverb

to move (the head or body) quickly downwards or away;

‘Before he could duck, another stone struck him’;

Duckverb

submerge or plunge suddenly

Duckverb

dip into a liquid;

‘He dipped into the pool’;

Duckverb

avoid or try to avoid fulfilling, answering, or performing (duties, questions, or issues);

‘He dodged the issue’; ‘she skirted the problem’; ‘They tend to evade their responsibilities’; ‘he evaded the questions skillfully’;

Ducknoun

a waterbird with a broad blunt bill, short legs, webbed feet, and a waddling gait.

Ducknoun

a female duck.

Ducknoun

a duck as food

‘a tangy stew of duck, lamb, and sausage’;

Ducknoun

a pure white thin-shelled bivalve mollusc found off the Atlantic coasts of America.

Ducknoun

an amphibious transport vehicle

‘visitors can board an amphibious duck to explore the city’;

Ducknoun

a quick lowering of the head.

Ducknoun

dear; darling (used as an informal or affectionate form of address, especially among cockneys)

‘where've yer been, ducks!’; ‘it's time you changed, my duck’;

Ducknoun

a strong linen or cotton fabric, used chiefly for work clothes and sails

‘cotton duck’;

Ducknoun

trousers made of duck.

Ducknoun

a batsman's score of nought

‘he was out for a duck’;

Duckverb

lower the head or the body quickly to avoid a blow or missile or so as not to be seen

‘spectators ducked for cover’; ‘he ducked his head and entered’;

Duckverb

depart quickly

‘I thought I saw you duck out’;

Duckverb

avoid (a blow or missile) by moving quickly

‘he ducked a punch from an angry first baseman’;

Duckverb

evade or avoid (an unwelcome duty or undertaking)

‘a responsibility which a less courageous man might well have ducked’; ‘I was engaged twice and ducked out both times’;

Duckverb

push or plunge (someone) under water, either playfully or as a punishment

‘Rufus grabbed him from behind to duck him under the surface’;

Duckverb

refrain from playing a winning card on a particular trick for tactical reasons

‘declarer ducked the opening spade lead’;

Duck

Duck is the common name for numerous species of waterfowl in the family Anatidae. Ducks are generally smaller and shorter-necked than swans and geese, which are also members of the same family.