RUCK

ruck, herd

(noun) a crowd especially of ordinary or undistinguished persons or things; “his brilliance raised him above the ruck”; “the children resembled a fairy herd”

pucker, ruck

(noun) an irregular fold in an otherwise even surface (as in cloth)

pucker, ruck, ruck up

(verb) become wrinkled or drawn together; “her lips puckered”

Source: WordNet® 3.1


Etymology 1

Noun

ruck (plural rucks)

A throng or crowd of people or things; a mass, a pack. [from 16th c.]

In Australian rules football

A contest in games in which the ball is thrown or bounced in the air and two players from opposing teams attempt to give their team an advantage, typically by tapping the ball to a teammate.

A player who competes in said contests; a ruckman or ruckwoman.

(now, rare) Either of a ruckman or a ruck rover, but not a rover.

Any one of a ruckman, a ruck rover or a rover; a follower.

(rugby union) The situation formed when a player carrying the ball is brought to the ground and one or more members of each side are engaged above the ball, trying to win possession of it; a loose scrum. [from 20th c.]

The common mass of people or things; the ordinary ranks. [from 19th c.]

Usage notes

In the second Australian rules football sense, "ruck" is a gender-neutral term. "Ruckman" is sometimes considered to refer only to men, but is often considered gender-neutral. "Ruckwoman" only refers to women.

Verb

ruck (third-person singular simple present rucks, present participle rucking, simple past and past participle rucked)

(obsolete, transitive) To act as a ruck in a stoppage in Australian rules football.

(transitive, rugby union) To contest the possession of the ball in a ruck.

Etymology 2

Verb

ruck (third-person singular simple present rucks, present participle rucking, simple past and past participle rucked)

(transitive) To crease or fold.

(intransitive) To become folded.

Noun

ruck (plural rucks)

A crease, a wrinkle, a pucker, as on fabric.

Etymology 3

Verb

ruck (third-person singular simple present rucks, present participle rucking, simple past and past participle rucked)

(UK, dialect, obsolete) To cower or huddle together; to squat; to sit, as a hen on eggs.

Etymology 4

Noun

ruck (plural rucks)

Obsolete form of roc.

Etymology 5

Noun

ruck (plural rucks)

(slang, especially, military) A rucksack; a large backpack.

Verb

ruck (third-person singular simple present rucks, present participle rucking, simple past and past participle rucked)

To carry a backpack while hiking or marching.

Etymology 6

Noun

ruck (plural rucks)

A small heifer.

Source: Wiktionary


Ruck, n.

Definition: A roc. [Obs. or prov. Eng.] Drayton.

Ruck, v. t. & i. [imp. & p. p. Rucked; p. pr. & vb. n. Rucking.] Etym: [Icel hrukkast to wrinkle, hrukka wrinkle, fold.]

Definition: To draw into wrinkles or unsightly folds; to crease; as, to ruck up a carpet. Smart.

Ruck, n. Etym: [Icel. hrukka. Cf. Ruck, v. t.]

Definition: A wrinkle or crease in a piece of cloth, or in needlework.

Ruck, v. i. Etym: [Cf. Dan. ruge to brood, to hatch.]

Definition: To cower; to huddle together; to squat; to sit, as a hen on eggs. [Obs. or Prov. Eng.] Gower. South. The sheep that rouketh in the fold. Chaucer.

Ruck, n. Etym: [Cf. Ruck.]

1. A heap; a rick. [Prov Eng. & Scot.]

2. The common sort, whether persons or things; as, the ruck in a horse race. [Colloq.] The ruck in society as a whole. Lond. Sat. Rev.

Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition



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Word of the Day

28 March 2024

HUDDLED

(adjective) crowded or massed together; “give me...your huddled masses”; “the huddled sheep turned their backs against the wind”


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