buck-and-wing

noun

ˌbə-kᵊn-ˈwiŋ

: a solo tap dance with sharp foot accents, springs, leg flings, and heel clicks

Word History

First Known Use

1888, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler

The first known use of buck-and-wing was in 1888

See more words from the same year

Browse Nearby Entries

buck ague

buck-and-wing

buck arm

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Buck-and-wing.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/buck-and-wing. Accessed 27 Feb. 2025.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster

Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.

Can you solve 4 words at once?

Can you solve 4 words at once?

Word of the Day

doff

Listen to the pronunciation of doff

See Definitions and Examples »

Get Word of the Day daily email!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)

'Canceled' or 'cancelled'?

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

More Commonly Misspelled Words

Popular in Wordplay

'In Vino Veritas' and Other Latin Phrases to Live By

Even More Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

10 Words from Taylor Swift Songs (Merriam's Version)

More Words with Remarkable Origins

Terroir, Oenophile, & Magnum: Ten Words About Wine

Popular Features

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)

'In Vino Veritas' and Other Latin Phrases to Live By

Even More Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't