duckwalk
duckwalk Lexical Profile
duckwalk Game Scores & Validity
• noun
A squatting walk or exercise performed with the knees deeply bent and the back kept straight, resembling the waddling gait of a duck.
"The coach had the wrestlers perform a duckwalk across the mat to build lower-body strength."
A stage move, popularized by guitarist Chuck Berry, in which a performer hops forward on one bent leg while kicking the other leg out and playing the guitar.
"The guitarist delighted the crowd by doing a classic duckwalk across the stage during his solo."
• verb
To walk in a low squatting position with the knees deeply bent, or to hop forward on one bent leg while extending the other in the style of a rock-and-roll performer.
"We had to duckwalk through the low-ceilinged tunnel to reach the other side."
To move a seated motorcycle forward or backward by paddling with both feet against the ground.
"He had to duckwalk his heavy touring bike out of the tight parking space."
Word Origin & Etymology
A transparent compound of 'duck' and 'walk' originating in mid-20th-century American English, famously popularized as a stage move by rock-and-roll pioneer Chuck Berry in the 1950s.