BUCK

n. & v. --n. 1 the male of various animals, esp. the deer, hare, or rabbit. 2 archaic a fashionable young man. 3 (attrib.) a sl. male (buck antelope). b US Mil. of the lowest rank (buck private). --v. 1 intr. (of a horse) jump upwards with back arched and feet drawn together. 2 tr. a (usu. foll. by off) throw (a rider or burden) in this way. b US oppose, resist. 3 tr. & intr. (usu. foll. by up) colloq. a make or become more cheerful. b hurry. 4 tr. (as bucked adj.) colloq. encouraged, elated. øbuck fever US nervousness when called on to act. buck-horn horn of buck as a material for knife-handles etc. buck-hound a small kind of staghound. buck rarebit Welsh rarebit with a poached egg on top. buck-tooth an upper tooth that projects. øøbucker n. [OE buc male deer, bucca male goat, f. ON]