chuck

¹

[ chuhk ]

verb (used with object)

1. to toss; throw with a quick motion, usually a short distance:

   Chuck that book to me, will you?

   Synonyms: hurl, heave, pitch, fling

2. Informal. to resign from; relinquish; give up:

   He's chucked his job.

3. to pat, tap, or stroke lightly, as under the chin:

   She chucks her grown son under his chin as if he were still a baby.

4. Informal. to eject (a person) from a public place (often followed by out ):

   They chucked him from the bar.

   I've been chucked out of better places than this!

5. Slang. to vomit; upchuck:

   It's the third time this week the dog's chucked his dinner.

noun

1. a light pat, tap, or stroke, as under the chin:

   Let Grammy give her angel a little chuck.

2. a toss or pitch; a short throw:

   Give it a chuck over here.

3. a sudden jerk or change in direction:

   She gave the toboggan a chuck and we all tumbled off into the snow.

chuck

²

[ chuhk ]

noun

1. the cut of beef between the neck and the shoulder blade:

   Braise the chuck and you'll have a tender, inexpensive piece of meat.

2. a block or log used as a chock:

   Have you got a chuck I can use to keep my wagon from rolling?

3. Machinery.
   1. a device for centering and clamping work in a lathe or other machine tool:

      You can't do the fine lathe work on the spindles without a proper chuck.

   2. a device for holding a drill bit:

      This drill has a keyless chuck, which is great for jobs requiring frequent bit changes.

verb (used with object)

1. Machinery. to hold or secure with a chuck:

   A poorly chucked drill bit is neither efficient nor safe.

chuck

³

[ chuhk ]

verb (used with or without object)

1. to cluck:

   The hypnotist made them chuck like chickens!

   A mother hen is chucking her chicks to come to her side.

noun

1. a clucking sound:

   We heard a loud chuck and saw him dashing from the henhouse with our prized layer.

2. Archaic. (used as a term of endearment):

   my love, my chuck.

chuck

⁴

[ chuhk ]

noun

, Western U.S. Slang.

1. food or provisions, as on a cattle ranch or trail:

   By the time we stopped for some chuck, I was too dang tired to eat.

chuck

⁵

[ chuhk ]

noun

, Informal.

1. woodchuck:

   Those blasted chucks have wiped out our entire garden.

chuck

⁶

[ chuhk ]

noun

, Canadian Slang.

1. water:

   Just give me some fresh air and clean chuck.

2. any body of water:

   Lordy, that Lake Nipigon is a beautiful chuck.

Chuck

⁷

[ chuhk ]

noun

1. a male given name, form of Charles.
2. Older Slang: Usually Disparaging and Offensive.
   1. a term used to refer to a white person.
   2. white society, culture, and values.

chuck

¹

/ tʃʌk /

noun

1. Also calledchuck steak a cut of beef extending from the neck to the shoulder blade
2. 1. Also calledthree jaw chuck a device that holds a workpiece in a lathe or tool in a drill, having a number of adjustable jaws geared to move in unison to centralize the workpiece or tool
   2. Also calledfour jaw chuckindependent jaw chuck a similar device having independently adjustable jaws for holding an unsymmetrical workpiece

chuck

²

/ tʃʌk /

verb

1. intr a less common word for cluck

noun

1. a clucking sound
2. a term of endearment

chuck

³

/ tʃʌk /

noun

1. a large body of water
2. short for saltchuck

chuck

⁴

/ tʃʌk /

verb

1. informal.
   to throw
2. to pat affectionately, esp under the chin
3. informal.
   sometimes foll byin or up to give up; reject

   she chucked her boyfriend

   he chucked up his job

4. slang.
   intrusually foll byup to vomit
5. chuck off at informal.
   to abuse or make fun of

noun

1. a throw or toss
2. a playful pat under the chin
3. the chuck informal.
   dismissal

Sensitive Note

Chuck in its slang sense was used especially in the 1960s and 1970s by Black people. This use arose by analogy with Mister Charlie, a slang term used in the same sense and also derived from a nickname for Charles.

Word History and Origins

Origin of chuck¹

First recorded in 1575–85; origin uncertain; possibly from French choquer “to knock, clash;” shock ¹( def )

Origin of chuck²

First recorded in 1665–75; variant of chock; chunk ¹

Origin of chuck³

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English chuk, expressive word, apparently imitative

Origin of chuck⁴

First recorded in 1840–50; special use of chuck ²

Origin of chuck⁵

By shortening

Origin of chuck⁶

First recorded in 1855–60; from Chinook Jargon, probably from Nuu-chah-nulth (Nootka) čʾaʔak “water,” reinforced by Lower Chinook ł-čuq “water”

Word History and Origins

Origin of chuck¹

C17: variant of chock

Origin of chuck²

C14 chukken to cluck, of imitative origin

Origin of chuck³

C19: from Chinook Jargon, from Nootka chauk

Origin of chuck⁴

C16: of unknown origin

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. chuck it, British Slang. stop it; shut up:

   Sorry for snapping, but your children don't know when to chuck it!

Example Sentences

Sen. Chuck Grassley reportedly fell completely silent when confronted with questions about the nom.

From Salon

"He got even more angry and puffed up a bit more and looked like he was actually going to chuck me in and my daughter," she said.

From BBC

When Sen. Chuck Schumer, one of the most pro-Israel members of Congress, criticized Israel’s behavior in the war, Trump said he was acting like a Palestinian—and he didn’t mean it as a compliment.

From Slate

If I’m hopeful about anything, it’s that a majority of Americans will feel that things in this country have worked, if far from perfectly, then well enough since its founding that perhaps maybe we shouldn’t chuck our values and grounding principles just because eggs and gas cost more than they did when the pandemic-ravaged economy was on its back four years ago.

From Los Angeles Times

And given all that, it still took more than three weeks and several more highly non-reassuring performances for Biden to drop out of the race, a step he only took after reportedly being told by Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and former Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi that it was his only option.

From Slate