/ rʌk; NAmE / noun , verb
■ noun
1.
[ C ] ( in rugby ) a group of players who gather round the ball when it is lying on the ground and push each other in order to get the ball
2.
[ sing. ] a group of people standing closely together or fighting
3.
the ruck [ sing. ] ( disapproving ) ordinary people or events :
She saw marriage to him as a way out of the ruck.
■ verb
[ v ] ( in rugby ) to take part in a ruck (1)
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PHRASAL VERBS
- ruck up | ruck sth up
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WORD ORIGIN
noun and verb Middle English (in the sense stack of fuel, heap ): apparently of Scandinavian origin; compare with Norwegian ruke heap of hay.
ruck up / ruck sth up. late 18th cent. (as a noun): from Old Norse hrukka .