Definitions for ducks and drakes
Random House Webster's College Dictionary
ducks′ and drakes′(n.)
a pastime in which flat stones or shells are skipped over the surface of water.
Category: Games
Origin of ducks and drakes:
1575–85
Princeton's WordNet
ducks and drakes(noun)
a game in which a flat stone is bounced along the surface of calm water
Wiktionary
ducks and drakes(Noun)
A pastime of throwing flat stones across water so as to make them bounce off the surface.
ducks and drakes(Noun)
squandering of resources, especially money; used in expressions like to make ducks and drakes of , to play ducks and drakes with , to play at ducks and drakes with
Origin: 1585, due to association with waterfowl. The precise origin is unclear, and may be from ducks taking off from a pond, or making rings when splashing, or bobbing their heads. Early references are primarily to “making” ducks and drakes, suggesting that the circular rings produced by the skipping stone resemble those created by splashing waterfowl.
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