Meaning & use

duck

noun·Everyday

A water bird with a broad flat bill, short legs, and webbed feet, often found near ponds and lakes.

See it in a sentence

A family of ducks paddled quietly across the park's still pond.

Visitors tossed bits of bread to the ducks gathered near the shore.

A note on using this word

As a verb, duck means to lower the head or body quickly to avoid being hit or seen.

Words with a similar meaning

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Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.

Another way to use it

2. verb

To lower the head or body quickly, especially to avoid a blow or stay out of sight.

He ducked just in time to avoid the low branch across the trail.

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