Deck vs. Duck

Any raised flat surface that can be walked on: a balcony; a porch; a raised patio; a flat rooftop.

(nautical) The floorlike covering of the horizontal sections, or compartments, of a ship. Small vessels have only one deck; larger ships have two or three decks.

Example: ‘to swab the deck’;

(aviation) A main aeroplane surface, especially of a biplane or multiplane.

(cards) A pack or set of playing cards.

A set of cards owned by each individual player and from which they draw when playing.

A set of slides for a presentation.

(obsolete) A heap or store.

(uncommon) To furnish with a deck, as a vessel.

(informal) To knock someone to the floor, especially with a single punch.

Example: ‘Wow, did you see her deck that guy who pinched her?’;

(card games) To cause a player to run out of cards to draw and usually lose the game as a result.

To dress (someone) up, to clothe with more than ordinary elegance

To decorate (something).

To cover; to overspread.

To cover; to overspread.

Example: ‘To deck with clouds the uncolored sky.’;

To dress, as the person; to clothe; especially, to clothe with more than ordinary elegance; to array; to adorn; to embellish.

Example: ‘Deck thyself now with majesty and excellency.’; ‘And deck my body in gay ornaments.’; ‘The dew with spangles decked the ground.’;

To furnish with a deck, as a vessel.

to knock down (a person) with a forceful blow; as, He decked his opponent with a single punch.

The floorlike covering of the horizontal sections, or compartments, of a ship. Small vessels have only one deck; larger ships have two or three decks.

The upper part or top of a mansard roof or curb roof when made nearly flat.

The roof of a passenger car.

A pack or set of playing cards.

Example: ‘The king was slyly fingered from the deck.’;

A heap or store.

Example: ‘Who . . . hath such trinketsReady in the deck.’;

A main aëroplane surface, esp. of a biplane or multiplane.

the portion of a bridge which serves as the roadway.

a flat platform adjacent to a house, usually without a roof; - it is typically used for relaxing out of doors, outdoor cooking, or entertaining guests.

any of various floor-like platforms built into a vessel

street name for a packet of illegal drugs

a pack of 52 playing cards

a porch that resembles the deck on a ship

be beautiful to look at;

Example: ‘Flowers adorned the tables everywhere’;

decorate;

Example: ‘deck the halls with holly’;

knock down with force;

Example: ‘He decked his opponent’;

(intransitive) To quickly lower the head or body in order to prevent it from being struck by something.

(transitive) To quickly lower (the head) in order to prevent it from being struck by something.

(transitive) To lower (something) into water; to thrust or plunge under liquid and suddenly withdraw.

(intransitive) To go under the surface of water and immediately reappear; to plunge one's head into water or other liquid.

(intransitive) To bow.

(transitive) To evade doing something.

(transitive) To lower the volume of (a sound) so that other sounds in the mix can be heard more clearly.

To enter a place for a short moment.

Example: ‘I'm just going to duck into the loo for a minute, can you hold my bag?’;

An aquatic bird of the family Anatidae, having a flat bill and webbed feet.

Specifically, an adult female duck; contrasted with drake and with duckling.

(uncountable) The flesh of a duck used as food.

(cricket) A batsman's score of zero after getting out. (short for duck's egg, since the digit "0" is round like an egg.)

(slang) A playing card with the rank of two.

A partly-flooded cave passage with limited air space.

A building intentionally constructed in the shape of an everyday object to which it is related.

Example: ‘A luncheonette in the shape of a coffee cup is particularly conspicuous, as is intended of an architectural duck or folly.’;

A marble to be shot at with another marble (the shooter) in children's games.

(US) A cairn used to mark a trail.

One of the weights used to hold a spline in place for the purpose of drawing a curve.

A tightly-woven cotton fabric used as sailcloth.

(in plural) Trousers made of such material.

A term of endearment; pet; darling.

Example: ‘And hold-fast is the only dog, my duck (William Shakespeare - The Life of King Henry the Fifth, Act 2, Scene 3).’;

(Midlands) Dear, mate (informal way of addressing a friend or stranger).

Example: ‘Ay up duck, ow'a'tha?’;

A pet; a darling.

A linen (or sometimes cotton) fabric, finer and lighter than canvas, - used for the lighter sails of vessels, the sacking of beds, and sometimes for men's clothing.

The light clothes worn by sailors in hot climates.

Any bird of the subfamily Anatinæ, family Anatidæ.

A sudden inclination of the bead or dropping of the person, resembling the motion of a duck in water.

Example: ‘Here be, without duck or nod,Other trippings to be trod.’;

To thrust or plunge under water or other liquid and suddenly withdraw.

Example: ‘Adams, after ducking the squire twice or thrice, leaped out of the tub.’;

To plunge the head of under water, immediately withdrawing it; as, duck the boy.

To bow; to bob down; to move quickly with a downward motion.

To go under the surface of water and immediately reappear; to dive; to plunge the head in water or other liquid; to dip.

Example: ‘In Tiber ducking thrice by break of day.’;

To drop the head or person suddenly; to bow.

Example: ‘The learned pateDucks to the golden fool.’;

small wild or domesticated web-footed broad-billed swimming bird usually having a depressed body and short legs

(cricket) a score of nothing by a batsman

flesh of a duck (domestic or wild)

a heavy cotton fabric of plain weave; used for clothing and tents

to move (the head or body) quickly downwards or away;

Example: ‘Before he could duck, another stone struck him’;

submerge or plunge suddenly

dip into a liquid;

Example: ‘He dipped into the pool’;

avoid or try to avoid fulfilling, answering, or performing (duties, questions, or issues);

Example: ‘He dodged the issue’; ‘she skirted the problem’; ‘They tend to evade their responsibilities’; ‘he evaded the questions skillfully’;

a waterbird with a broad blunt bill, short legs, webbed feet, and a waddling gait.

a female duck.

a duck as food

Example: ‘a tangy stew of duck, lamb, and sausage’;

a pure white thin-shelled bivalve mollusc found off the Atlantic coasts of America.

an amphibious transport vehicle

Example: ‘visitors can board an amphibious duck to explore the city’;

a quick lowering of the head.

dear; darling (used as an informal or affectionate form of address, especially among cockneys)

Example: ‘where've yer been, ducks!’; ‘it's time you changed, my duck’;

a strong linen or cotton fabric, used chiefly for work clothes and sails

Example: ‘cotton duck’;

trousers made of duck.

a batsman's score of nought

Example: ‘he was out for a duck’;

lower the head or the body quickly to avoid a blow or missile or so as not to be seen

Example: ‘spectators ducked for cover’; ‘he ducked his head and entered’;

depart quickly

Example: ‘I thought I saw you duck out’;

avoid (a blow or missile) by moving quickly

Example: ‘he ducked a punch from an angry first baseman’;

evade or avoid (an unwelcome duty or undertaking)

Example: ‘a responsibility which a less courageous man might well have ducked’; ‘I was engaged twice and ducked out both times’;

push or plunge (someone) under water, either playfully or as a punishment

Example: ‘Rufus grabbed him from behind to duck him under the surface’;

refrain from playing a winning card on a particular trick for tactical reasons

Example: ‘declarer ducked the opening spade lead’;

Duck is the common name for numerous species of waterfowl in the family Anatidae. Ducks are generally smaller and shorter-necked than swans and geese, which are also members of the same family.