From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishduckduck1 /dʌk/ ●●● S3 noun 1 
[countable]HBB a very common water bird with short legs and a wide beak, used for its meat, eggs, and soft feathers2 [countable]HBB a female duck → drake3 [uncountable]DFF the meat of a duck used as food roast duck with orange sauce4 → take to something like a duck to water5 (also ducks)FRIENDLYTALK TO somebody British English spoken used to speak to someone, especially a woman, in a friendly way What can I get you, ducks?6 [countable]DSC a score of zero by a batsman in a game of cricket → dead duck, lame duck, → like water off a duck’s back at water1(8), → ducks and drakes, sitting duckCOLLOCATIONSverbsa duck quacks (=makes the sound ducks make)The ducks on the river started quacking.a duck waddles (=walks moving its body from side to side)Ducks were waddling across the grass.a duck paddles (=swims by moving its feet under the water)Ducks and swans paddled towards us.a duck dives (=puts its head down under the water)A single wild duck was swimming and diving.a duck bobs (=moves up and down on the water)They watched the ducks bobbing up and down on the waves.duck + NOUNa duck pond (=a small area of water where there are ducks)The park has a duck pond which the children like.
[countable]HBB a very common water bird with short legs and a wide beak, used for its meat, eggs, and soft feathers2 [countable]HBB a female duck → drake3 [uncountable]DFF the meat of a duck used as food roast duck with orange sauce4 → take to something like a duck to water5 (also ducks)FRIENDLYTALK TO somebody British English spoken used to speak to someone, especially a woman, in a friendly way What can I get you, ducks?6 [countable]DSC a score of zero by a batsman in a game of cricket → dead duck, lame duck, → like water off a duck’s back at water1(8), → ducks and drakes, sitting duckCOLLOCATIONSverbsa duck quacks (=makes the sound ducks make)The ducks on the river started quacking.a duck waddles (=walks moving its body from side to side)Ducks were waddling across the grass.a duck paddles (=swims by moving its feet under the water)Ducks and swans paddled towards us.a duck dives (=puts its head down under the water)A single wild duck was swimming and diving.a duck bobs (=moves up and down on the water)They watched the ducks bobbing up and down on the waves.duck + NOUNa duck pond (=a small area of water where there are ducks)The park has a duck pond which the children like.Examples from the Corpus
duck• Most commercial ducks now come from farms in Northern California or the Midwest states, especially Indiana.• The particular larva around which a mussel pearl forms lives in its adult stage in the eider duck.• In the moonlight it appeared more like a great slab of concrete than a refuge for ducks.• He went to the brook, and shot a little duck, Right through the middle of the head, head, head.• roast duck• When removing the legs from the duck, make sure to leave enough skin around them to cover the meat.ldoce_077_bduckduck2 verb 1 (also duck down) [intransitive, transitive]HIDE/NOT SHOW to lower your head or body very quickly, especially to avoid being seen or hit If she hadn’t ducked, the ball would have hit her.duck behind/under etc Jamie saw his father coming and ducked quickly behind the wall. Tim ducked down to comb his hair in the mirror. She ducked her head to look more closely at the inscription.2 [intransitive always + adverb/preposition] to move somewhere very quickly, especially to avoid being seen or to get away from someoneduck into The two men ducked into a block of flats and disappeared.duck out of She ducked out of the door before he could stop her.duck back ‘Wait a minute’, he called, ducking back inside.3 [transitive] informalAVOID to avoid something, especially a difficult or unpleasant duty SYN dodge The ruling body wanted to duck the issue of whether players had been cheating. Glazer ducked a question about his involvement in the bank scandal.4 [transitive]DSS to push someone under water for a short time as a jokeduck somebody under something Tom grabbed him from behind to duck him under the surface. → duck out of something→ See Verb tableExamples from the Corpus
duck• He did it again, and I would duck.• I forgot to duck and hit my head on the branch.• Josie ducked and the vase smashed against the wall.• He has ducked, bobbed and weaved with it, but he is clearly embarrassed by it now.• Others just plunged, simply ducked down and pushed out, fighting up, reaching for air.• The bottom was pebbles, the water was sun-warmed; she ducked her head under and came up feeling faintly sick.• Culley ducked his face into his shoulder and wiped sweat on to his shirt.• He wriggled into the impulse-suit, ducked his head into the helmet.• He ducked under her arm and slammed his elbow into her back knocking her into the wall.• It was a good thing that I ducked when the wind blew the sail around.ducked ... head• Some ducked their heads and avoided reporters.• He ducked his head and butted Orcadai under the chin, his hands grasping for purchase.• She ducked her head and nipped the skin on his chest.• She ducked her head in, and tried to go deeper before making towards the fallen flare.• The woman ducked her head in embarrassment and put her hand on the arm of the man driving.• He wriggled into the impulse-suit, ducked his head into the helmet.• The bottom was pebbles, the water was sun-warmed; she ducked her head under and came up feeling faintly sick.duck back• Instinctively, I ducked back a tree or two.• Art, it seems, is the perpetual recidivist, always ducking back into the aesthetic as soon as vigilant life averts its gaze.• He let go and ducked back into the driving rain.• He ducked back into the shadows, his face pressed to the door.• Stir duck back into warm sauce.• I eased into an upright position, ducking back out of sight until I heard him start the car and pull away.• Marion ducked back out, surprised and annoyed, but there was no sign of her.ducked ... question• Glazer ducked a question about his involvement in the bank scandal.Origin duck1 Old English duce 