# break one's duck

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/break-ones-duck
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

To do something for the first time.

## Origin

From the sport of cricket, in which a score of zero is termed a duck—a shortening of the phrase duck's egg, chosen for its visual similarity to the numeral. To break one's duck is to score the first run of an innings, thereby moving the total beyond that initial, oval vacancy.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.