chuck

plural chucks

1. countableuncountablecookingMeat from the shoulder of a cow or other animal.

   Arm chucks represent approximately 54% of the beef forequarters.

   1975, Thomas Fabbricante, William J. Sultan, Practical Meat Cutting and Merchandising: Beef, page 141

   2 more examples

   Often, pieces of the chuck are sold boneless as flat chunks of meat or rolled and tied.

   2001, Bruce Aidells, Denis Kelly, The Complete Meat Cookbook: A Juicy and Authoritative Guide, page 190

   The chucks are that portion of foresaddle remaining after excluding the hotel rack and plate portions of the breast as described in Item No. 306. The veal foreshanks (Item No. 312) and brisket may either be attached or separated and packaged with the chucks.

   2006, North American Meat Processors Association, The Meat Buyers Guide: Beef, Lamb, Veal, Pork, and Poultry, page 113

2. UScountabledatedslanguncountableFood.

   “Hambone, how's for chuck?” Hambone removed pipe from mouth, slowly. “Wal, I reckon I still got a few whistleberries left. Some sonofabitch stew mabbe. A few shot biscuits.”

   1951, Frederick Feikema Manfred, Riders of Judgment, Second, published 2014, →ISBN

3. countableuncountableengineeringA mechanical device that holds an object firmly in place, for example holding a drill bit in a high-speed rotating drill or grinder.

   2003, Julie K. Petersen, “chuck”, entry in Fiber Optics Illustrated Dictionary, page 181, A fiber optic splicing device may be equipped with V-grooves or chucks to hold the two pieces of fiber optic filament to be spliced. If it has chucks, they are typically either clamping chucks or vacuum chucks.

   3 more examples

   1824, Royal Society of Arts (Great Britain), Transactions, Volume 42, page 88, I have had a chuck of this kind made in brass with the cones of iron, but it is cumbrous and expensive, and does not answer so well, owing to the surface of the iron offering less resistance to the work turning within it. This, perhaps, might be remedied by roughing; but I think the chuck is much better in wood, as it can be made by any common turner at a trifling expense, and possesses more strength than can possibly be required.

   Iron and steel in contact with magnets retain some of the magnetism, which is sometimes more or less of a nuisance in getting small work off the chucks.

   1912, Fred Herbert Colvin, Frank Arthur Stanley, American Machinist Grinding Book, page 322

   The first step in preparing a test specimen with the FlexPrepᵀᴹ is to secure the gyratory specimen in the chuck of the machine.

   2008, Ramon Francis Bonaquist, NHCRP Report 614: Refining the Simple Performance Tester for Use in Routine Practice, page 30

present singular third person chucks · participle present chucking · participle past chucked · past chucked

1. To place in a chuck, or hold by means of a chuck, as in turning.
2. To bore or turn (a hole) in a revolving piece held in a chuck.

plural chucks

1. dialectalobsoleteA chicken, a hen.
2. A clucking sound.

   The call always starts with a whine, to which the males add from 0 to 6 chucks. In choice tests, females approach calls that contain chucks in preference to calls that contain no chucks.

   1998, Scott Freeman, Jon C. Herron, Evolutionary Analysis, page 604

3. slangA friend or close acquaintance; term of endearment.

   Are you all right, chuck?

   1 more example

   Pray, chuck, come hither.

   c. 1603–1604 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Othello, the Moore of Venice”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act IV, scene ii]

present singular third person chucks · participle present chucking · participle past chucked · past chucked

1. To make a clucking sound.
2. To call, as a hen her chickens.

   Then crowing clapped his wing, th'appointed call To chuck his wives together in the hall.

   1700, [John] Dryden, “The Cock and the Fox: Or, The Tale of the Nun’s Priest, from Chaucer”, in Fables Ancient and Modern; […], London: […] Jacob Tonson, […], →OCLC

3. obsoleteTo chuckle; to laugh.

   Who would not chuck to see such pleasing sport. To see such troupes of gallants still resort unto Cornutos shop.

   1598, John Marston, “Satyre IV”, in The Metamorphosis of Pigmalions Image, and Certaine Satyres (poem)

plural chucks · alternative obsolete chock

1. A gentle touch or tap.

   She gave him an affectionate chuck under the chin.

2. informalA casual throw.
3. informalball gamesA throw, an incorrect bowling action.
4. slangAn act or instance of vomiting.
5. entertainmentOn rhythm guitar or mandolin etc., the muting of a chord by lifting the fretting fingers immediately after strumming, producing a percussive effect.

present singular third person chucks · participle present chucking · participle past chucked · past chucked · alternative obsolete chock

1. To playfully give a light touch, stroke, tap, etc., to someone, especially under the chin.

   ‘Oh, my oath,’ Dan said, and ‘chucked’ Mrs. Brown familiarly under the chin. ‘Get along wid you!’ she cried, jumping back and colouring up.

   1911, ‘Steel Rudd’, The Book of Dan, Brisbane: University of Queensland Press, published 1970, page 44

   1 more example

   [Y]ou look now as you did before we were married—when you used to walk with me under the Elms, and tell me stories of what a Gallant you were in your youth—and chuck me under the chin you would—and ask me if I thought I could love an old Fellow who would deny me nothing—didn't you?

   1777, Richard Brinsley Sheridan, The School for Scandal, III.ii

2. informaltransitiveTo throw, especially in a careless or inaccurate manner.

   Chuck that magazine to me, would you?

   Synonyms: fling, hurl, bung, cast, chunk, cook, dash, dump

3. intransitiveball gamesTo throw; to bowl with an incorrect action.
4. informaltransitiveTo discard, to throw away.

   This food's gone off - you'd better chuck it.

   1 more example

   When Dangerfield put the little roll in his hand, Irons looked suspicious and frightened, and balanced it in his palm, as if he had thoughts of chucking it from him, as though it were literally a satanic douceur. But it is hard to part with money, and Irons, though he still looked cowed and unhappy, put the money into his breeches' pocket, and he made a queer bow […]

   1863, Sheridan Le Fanu, The House by the Churchyard

   Synonyms: chuck out, junk, 86, bin, can, cast aside, cast off, cast away

5. informaltransitiveTo jilt; to dump.

   She's chucked me for another man!

6. datedinformaltransitiveTo give up; to stop doing; to quit.

   "When he got religion old Joe stuck every penny away in the Savings Bank, and when he chucked religion he'd draw out the lot and go on a bender that landed him in the horrors, like as not."

   1938, Norman Lindsay, Age of Consent, 1st Australian edition, Sydney, N.S.W.: Ure Smith, published 1962, →OCLC, page 101

7. intransitiveslangTo vomit.

   Synonyms: throw up, bait, barf, be sick, blow chunks, boak, boke, boot

8. South AfricaintransitiveslangTo leave; to depart; to bounce.

   Let's chuck.

   Synonyms: take off, 23 skidoo, beat it, bug off, remove, egress, bugger off, book

9. entertainmentOn rhythm guitar or mandolin etc.: to mute a chord by lifting the fretting fingers immediately after strumming, producing a percussive effect.

plural chucks · alternative 'chuck

1. abbreviationAbbreviation of woodchuck.

   1976 August, Sylvia Bashline, Woodchucks Are Tablefare Too, Field & Stream, page 50, Chucks are plentiful, and most farmers are glad to have the incurable diggers kept at tolerable population levels. […] For some reason, my family didn′t eat ′chucks. Few families in the area did.

plural chucks · alternative Scotland chack

1. ScotlandA small pebble.
2. Scotlandin pluralobsoleteslangMoney.

plural chucks

1. countableuncountableA pair of nunchaku, especially when using two.

plural Chucks

1. A form of the male given name Charles, of mostly American usage.

   The digital ads open over a shot of Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid and Chuck Schumer, the third-ranking Democrat in the Senate, while a narrator declares: “For years, it paralyzed Washington: Partisan political dysfunction.”

   2015 May 12, Alexandra Jaffe, “First on CNN: New Rove-linked group spends $2M to boost GOP incumbents”, in CNN

plural Chucks

1. informalplural normallyA Chuck Taylor All-Stars shoe.

   Got Chucks on with Saint Laurent / Gotta kiss myself, I'm so pretty

   2014, “Uptown Funk”, performed by Mark Ronson

   1 more example

   Used to be shoes off, but it's never that Since he found the metal shavings waiting by the welcome mat Everyday stuck, keep the heater tucked They got him sleeping in his Chucks

   2020, clipping., “Check the Lock”, in Visions of Bodies Being Burned, via Spotify

1. CanadaslangThe city of Edmonton.