plural bucks
1
a
informal
(1)
: dollar sense 1b
I only had a buck in my pocket.
Dinner cost twenty bucks.
(2)
: a sum of money especially to be gained
make a quick buck
b
US slang
—used in place of "hundred" in combination with other numbers
Being in between the tackles, where everybody weighs 300 pounds and I'm a buck-eighty (180 pounds), is frightening.—Freddie Milons, quoted in The Chattanooga Times
2
or plural buck
: a male animal
especially
: a male deer or antelope
4
6
[short for sawbuck sawhorse]
a
: a supporting rack or frame
b
: a short thick leather-covered block for gymnastic vaulting
see also:
bucked; bucking; bucks
1
of a horse or mule
: to spring into the air with the back arched
2
: to charge against something
3
a
: to move or react jerkily
b
: to refuse assent : balk
4
: to strive for advancement sometimes without regard to ethical behavior
bucking for a promotion
1
b
archaic
: butt entry 3
2
: to throw or dislodge (a rider) by bucking
3
: to move or charge into
bucking a headwind
4
a
: to pass especially from one person to another
b
: to move or load (heavy or cumbersome objects) especially with mechanical equipment
bucker
noun
: stark, completely
buck naked
1
: responsibility
—used especially in phrases like pass the buck and the buck stops here
Stop trying to pass the buck. [=shift responsibility to someone else]
Ultimately, the buck stops here. = Ultimately, the buck stops with me [=it is my responsibility]
2
plural bucks
: an object formerly used in poker to mark the next player to deal
broadly
: a token used as a mark or reminder
: of the lowest grade within a military category or rank
Because he had not yet taken the Army's basic artillery course, he had to make do with a crash course from a buck sergeant … , who tutored him aboard the troopship General Walker.—Peter J. Boyer
see also buck private
the buck stops here
7 of 7phrase
—used to say that one accepts a responsibility and will not try to give it to someone else
I'm willing to accept the blame for what happened. The buck stops here with me.
Cite this Entry
“Buck.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/buck. Accessed 2 Sep. 2026.
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