duck

Universal Words noun, verb noun 1 (plural ducks or duck) [C] a common bird that lives on or near water, with short legs, WEBBED feet (= feet with thin pieces of skin between the toes) and a wide beak. There are many types of duck, some of which are kept for their meat or eggs: wild ducks * duck eggs * Every afternoon they went to the park to feed the ducks. * Ducks were quacking noisily on the lake. 2 [C] a female duck compareDRAKE 3 [U] meat from a duck: roast duck with orange sauce 4 (also duckie, ducks, ducky) [C,usually sing.] (BrE, informal) a friendly way of addressing sb: Anything else, duck? compareDEAR, LOVE 5 (a duck) [sing.] (in cricket) a BATSMAN'S score of zero: He was out for a duck. seealsoLAMEDUCK, SITTINGDUCK IDIOMS (take to sth) like a duck to water (to become used to sth) very easily, without any problems or fears: She has taken to teaching like a duck to water. moreatDEADadj., WATERn. verb 1 ~ (down)