buck
UK[bʌk]US[bʌk]
n
the male of some animals, especially deer, rabbits, or goats
n
a dollar
v
(of a horse) to jump into the air with the back arched and the head down
v
to oppose or resist something in a direct way
Etymology
the word "buck" has a long history in english, tracing back to the old english "bucca," meaning a male goat. this term is of germanic origin, related to old norse "bokkr" and middle dutch "boc." its core semantic thread has consistently been the male of an animal. the financial sense of "a dollar" emerged in american english during the mid-19th century, likely from the use of deerskins ("buckskins") as a unit of trade in earlier frontier economies. the verb meaning, to leap like a horse or to resist stubbornly, draws metaphorically from the vigorous, kicking behavior characteristic of male animals like deer or goats.
Analysis
the word is a simplex form. it is a loanword from old english, where it originally referred to a male deer or goat.
Examples
we saw a magnificent buck with large antlers in the forest.
the new software upgrade will cost about fifty bucks.
the young horse tried to buck its rider off.