buck

Universal Words noun, verb noun 1 [C] (informal, especially AmE) a US or an Australian dollar: They cost ten bucks. * We're talking big bucks (= a lot of money) here. 2 [C] a male deer, HARE or rabbit (also called a buck rabbit) compareDOE, HART, STAG 3 [C] (old-fashioned, informal) a young man 4 (the buck) [sing.] used in some expressions to refer to the responsibility or blame for sth: It was my decision. The buck stops here (= nobody else can be blamed). * I was tempted to pass the buck (= make sb else responsible). ORIGIN From buck, an object which in a poker game is placed in front of the player whose turn it is to deal. IDIOMS make a fast / quick buck (informal, often disapproving) to earn money quickly and easily: This is a long-term project. We are not out to make a quick buck. moreatMILLION verb 1 [V] (of a horse) to jump with the two back feet or all four feet off the ground 2 [V] to move up and down suddenly or in a way that is not controlled: The boat bucked and heaved beneath them. * The shotgun bucked in his hands. 3 [VN] (informal) to resist or oppose sth: One or two companies have managed to buck the trend of the recession. * He admired her willingness to buck the system (= oppose authority or rules). * The President is unlikely to buck pressure from the public. IDIOMS buck your ideas up (BrE, informal) to start behaving in a more acceptable way, so that work gets done better, etc. PHRASALVERBS buck up (informal) 1 (often in orders) to become more cheerful: Buck up kid! It's not the end of the game. 2 (buck up!) (old-fashioned) used to tell sb to hurry buck sb up (BrE, informal) to make sb more cheerful: The good news bucked us all up.