English Reference

Word

buck

US/ˈbək/

UK/bˈʌk/

Definitions

01male deer or other animal

B2

n. a male deer. The word is also used for the male of some other animals, such as antelopes, rabbits, goats, and hares.

n. the male of certain mammals — chiefly deer, but also antelope, rabbit, hare, and goat.

“A large buck stepped out of the trees.”

“During the rut, a dominant buck fights off rival males to defend a group of does.”

02a dollar

C1

n. an informal word for a dollar, especially in American English. You might hear someone say something costs 'ten bucks'.

n. an informal term for a unit of currency, most frequently the United States dollar; also common in Australian and Canadian English.

“This coffee costs five bucks.”

“The entrepreneur's first venture was funded with a thousand bucks borrowed from family.”

Informal

Real-World Examples

“But which greens are giving you the most nutritional bang for your buck?”
The Guardian · 14 Aug 2026
“Oil companies are making big bucks these days.”
The Conversation · 12 Aug 2026

Related words

Idioms

bang for the buck — Efficiency; cost-effectiveness; value.

big bucks — Lots of money.

break the buck — To fall below the value of one dollar per share.

buck fever — Excitement and nervousness felt by a new hunter upon seeing game.

buck for — To strive for persistently; to try hard to obtain (a promotion, raise, etc.).

buck off — Of a horse or other animal, to rear up on its hind legs in order to throw off or dislodge its rider.

buck the trend — To go against the norm or the current stand of the main population; have a differing opinion from the majority.

buck up — Cheer up; take courage; take heart.

buck up one's ideas — to pull one's socks up

get back on the horse that bucked one — To return to something that previously caused harm.

Show all 13

pass the buck — To transfer responsibility or blame from oneself onto another; to absolve oneself of concern for a given matter by claiming to lack authority or jurisdiction.

quick buck — A large sum of money earned easily and quickly.

the buck stops here — A statement that no excuses will be made, that the speaker is going to take direct responsibility for matters, rather than pass the responsibility to higher authorities.

Domains

AnatomyElectronicsFinanceMilitaryMining

This entry

Level
C1 · Advanced
Frequency
Common
Updated

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English Reference