puck

1 of 2

noun (1)

plural pucks
1
: a vulcanized rubber disk used in ice hockey
2
: something (such as a food item) that resembles a puck
It is imperative to remove the coffee puck after each brew.Ethan Miller
The gourmet burger revolution has swept into backyards and decks, as home cooks forgo frozen pucks of beef for fresh homemade patties.Eric Vellend
There are GPS pucks in all buses that track the bus.Tina Deetz, quoted in UWIRE Text

puck

2 of 2

noun (2)

plural pucks
1
: a mischievous sprite : hobgoblin
specifically, Puck : robin goodfellow
2
archaic : an evil spirit : demon

Examples of puck in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Just 4:30 later, after Kostin’s shot on net was blocked, Vlasic picked up the loose puck, skated below the goal line, and put a shot toward the front of the Pittsburgh net. Curtis Pashelka, The Mercury News, 15 Mar. 2024 With River Falls junior goalie Luke Linehan registering 34 saves through two periods, and overtime looking more like a possibility, Armani Fisher kept the puck to himself on a 3-on-2 break and punched it past Linehan from the high slot to put the Ledgers up 2-1 just past the 10-minute mark. Jim Hoehn, Twin Cities, 29 Feb. 2024 Mikko Rantanen redirecting the puck from the side of the net at near-impossible angles. Corey Masisak, The Denver Post, 18 Feb. 2024 Its signature items include marinated beef short rib patty, or tteok-galbi; pucks of thin pork belly to be wrapped in ssam; and garlic-laden short ribs. Stephanie Breijo, Los Angeles Times, 2 Mar. 2024 While Matthews is currently just 8th in the NHL in points with 77, and he has never been known for his defensive abilities or as a gritty, 200-foot player, his current rate of scoring the puck is on a historic level. Tyler Small, Forbes, 27 Feb. 2024 The disappointment in the building deepened when Ducks goalie John Gibson mishandled the puck behind his own net early in the second period, giving Blue Jackets forward Alex Texier an opportunity to sling it to the front where Sean Kuraly tapped in his eighth goal of the season. Josh Gross, Orange County Register, 25 Feb. 2024 After an official review, though, it was determined the puck never completely crossed the goal line. Curtis Pashelka, The Mercury News, 24 Feb. 2024 The Avalanche’s top line lost control of the puck trying to enter the offensive zone, and a few of Vancouver’s best players quickly counterattacked. Corey Masisak, The Denver Post, 20 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'puck.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

English dialect puck to poke, hit, probably from Irish poc butt, stroke in hurling, literally, buck (male deer)

Noun (2)

Middle English puke, from Old English pūca; akin to Old Norse pūki devil

First Known Use

Noun (1)

1886, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun (2)

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Time Traveler
The first known use of puck was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near puck

Cite this Entry

“Puck.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/puck. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

puck

1 of 2 noun
: a fairy or spirit who plays tricks on human beings

puck

2 of 2 noun
: a rubber disk used in ice hockey
Etymology

Noun

Old English pūca "evil spirit"

Noun

from a dialect word puck "to hit, poke," probably from Irish poc "butt, stroke in hurling," literally, "buck (male deer)"

More from Merriam-Webster on puck

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