chuck

¹ American  

[chuhk] / tʃʌk /

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 byout ).

   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.

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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.

idioms

1. chuck it, stop it; shut up.

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

chuck ² American  

[chuhk] / tʃʌk /

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.

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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 American  

[chuhk] / tʃʌk /

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.

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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 American  

[chuhk] / tʃʌk /

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.

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chuck ⁵ American  

[chuhk] / tʃʌk /

noun

Informal.

1. woodchuck.

   Those blasted chucks have wiped out our entire garden.

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chuck ⁶ American  

[chuhk] / tʃʌk /

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.

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Chuck ⁷ American  

[chuhk] / tʃʌk /

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.

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chuck ¹ British  

/ tʃʌk /

verb

1. informal to throw

2. to pat affectionately, esp under the chin

3. informal to give up; reject

   he chucked up his job

   she chucked her boyfriend

4. slang to vomit

5. informal to abuse or make fun of

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noun

1. a throw or toss

2. a playful pat under the chin

3. informal dismissal

chuck ² British  

/ tʃʌk /

noun

1. Also called: chuck steak.  a cut of beef extending from the neck to the shoulder blade

2. 1. Also called: three 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 called: four jaw chuck.   independent jaw chuck.  a similar device having independently adjustable jaws for holding an unsymmetrical workpiece

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chuck ³ British  

/ tʃʌk /

verb

1. (intr) a less common word for cluck

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noun

1. a clucking sound

2. a term of endearment

chuck ⁴ British  

/ tʃʌk /

noun

1. a large body of water

2. short for saltchuck

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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.

Etymology

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”

Example Sentences

Anna May grabbed a vest and a suit jacket from a hook on the wall and chucked them onto the counter for James.

From Literature

Reaves chucked up a line drive that ricocheted off the front of the rim and toward his left.

From Los Angeles Times

Reach for 80/20 ground chuck as your baseline.

From Salon

“You get the bunk where they chuck your stuff.”

From Literature

“Just make your scrambled eggs basically the way that you normally do. A little bit before the eggs are totally firm, chuck in a little lemon zest,” Chavez says.

From Salon