buck

Buck is a term with several distinct meanings in English. It may refer to an animal, a unit of money, a personal name, or a verb meaning to resist or throw off. The intended sense is usually clear from context.

In zoology, buck is a male animal, most commonly a male deer. In North American usage, a male white-tailed or mule deer is called a buck; female deer are does. The term is also used for the males of other species, including rabbits and goats (where the male is often called a buck or billy).

In slang, buck denotes a dollar or the American currency unit in general. The term is widely used in North America and beyond to refer to money, especially small amounts. The origin is thought to be the use of buckskins as a medium of exchange in colonial America.

Buck is used as both a given name and a surname. Notable bearers include Buckminster Fuller (inventor and architect), Buck Owens (country musician), and many fictional characters such as Buck Rogers. The name often evokes a down-to-earth, brisk or frontier sense.

As a verb, buck means to throw off or resist, as when an animal bucks or a person bucks a system. It can also refer to sudden, jerky movement or to moving against a trend (to buck the trend).