Lame duck

Lame duck
Duck Duck, n. [OE. duke, doke. See {Duck}, v. t. ] 1. (Zool.) Any bird of the subfamily {Anatin[ae]}, family {Anatid[ae]}. [1913 Webster]

Note: The genera and species are numerous. They are divided into {river ducks} and {sea ducks}. Among the former are the common domestic duck ({Anas boschas}); the wood duck ({Aix sponsa}); the beautiful mandarin duck of China ({Dendronessa galeriliculata}); the Muscovy duck, originally of South America ({Cairina moschata}). Among the sea ducks are the eider, canvasback, scoter, etc. [1913 Webster]

2. A sudden inclination of the bead or dropping of the person, resembling the motion of a duck in water. [1913 Webster]

Here be, without duck or nod, Other trippings to be trod. --Milton. [1913 Webster]

{Bombay duck} (Zo["o]l.), a fish. See {Bummalo}.

{Buffel duck}, {Spirit duck}. See {Buffel duck}.

{Duck ant} (Zo["o]l.), a species of white ant in Jamaica which builds large nests in trees.

{Duck barnacle}. (Zo["o]l.) See {Goose barnacle}.

{Duck hawk}. (Zo["o]l.) (a) In the United States: The peregrine falcon. (b) In England: The marsh harrier or moor buzzard.

{Duck mole} (Zo["o]l.), a small aquatic mammal of Australia, having webbed feet and a bill resembling that of a duck ({Ornithorhynchus anatinus}). It belongs the subclass Monotremata and is remarkable for laying eggs like a bird or reptile; -- called also {duckbill}, {platypus}, {mallangong}, {mullingong}, {tambreet}, and {water mole}.

{To make ducks and drakes}, to throw a flat stone obliquely, so as to make it rebound repeatedly from the surface of the water, raising a succession of jets; hence:

{To play at ducks and drakes}, with property, to throw it away heedlessly or squander it foolishly and unprofitably.

{Lame duck}. See under {Lame}. [1913 Webster]


The Collaborative International Dictionary of English. 2000.

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  • lame duck — ˌlame ˈduck noun [countable] informal 1. a politician or a government that no longer has any real power or authority: • A bad defeat for his party in October risks making him a lame duck for the remaining two years of his presidency. 2. COMMERCE… …   Financial and business terms

  • lame duck — {n.}, {informal} An elected public official who has been either defeated in a new election or whose term cannot be renewed, but who has a short period of time left in office during which he can still perform certain duties, though with somewhat… …   Dictionary of American idioms

  • lame duck — {n.}, {informal} An elected public official who has been either defeated in a new election or whose term cannot be renewed, but who has a short period of time left in office during which he can still perform certain duties, though with somewhat… …   Dictionary of American idioms

  • Lame duck — can refer to:* Lame duck (politics), an elected official who has lost political power * Lame duck (game design), a player in a game who cannot win, yet remains in the game. * Lame duck (tango), a position in tango * Lame Ducks (TV series), a… …   Wikipedia

  • lame duck — lame ducks 1) N COUNT: oft N n (disapproval) If you describe someone or something as a lame duck, you are critical of them because they are not successful and need to be helped a lot. Look, I m not one of your lame ducks... It is not proper to… …   English dictionary

  • lame duck — n. A public official still in office after the election but before the inauguration of his or her successor. The Essential Law Dictionary. Sphinx Publishing, An imprint of Sourcebooks, Inc. Amy Hackney Blackwell. 2008. lame duck …   Law dictionary

  • lame´-duck´ — lame duck, 1. U.S. a public official, especially a Congressman, who has been defeated for reelection and is serving the last part of his term: »Like a lame duck President, a Prime Minister who is known to be on the way out cannot command… …   Useful english dictionary

  • Lame duck — Lame Lame (l[=a]m), a. [Compar. {Lamer} (l[=a]m [ e]r); superl. {Lamest}.] [OE. lame, AS. lama; akin to D. lam, G. lahm, OHG., Dan., & Sw. lam, Icel. lami, Russ. lomate to break, lomota rheumatism.] 1. (a) Moving with pain or difficulty on… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • lame-duck — adjective only before noun a lame duck leader or LEGISLATOR is one that is not powerful: a lame duck president …   Usage of the words and phrases in modern English

  • lame duck — 1761, any disabled person or thing; especially Stock Exchange slang for defaulter. A lame duck is a man who cannot pay his differences, and is said to waddle off. [Thomas Love Peacock, Gryll Grange, 1861] Sometimes also in naval use for an old,… …   Etymology dictionary

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