Jouk

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. To bend low or swerve quickly to avoid a blow or a passing object ; to conceal oneself or slip away unseen into a hiding place
2. To stoop down or sidestep suddenly to escape notice or harm ; to tuck oneself away out of sight and keep hidden
3. Moving quickly to one side to evade something ; keeping out of view by concealing oneself in a sheltered spot

Etymology: "Jouk" is a Scots verb meaning to duck or dodge, especially to lower the head or body quickly to avoid a blow, a low doorway, or notice. It is the Scots form that English speakers in Scotland and northern England have used for centuries, and it sits in the same family of Scots and northern English words as its more familiar relatives. The word has stayed largely within Scots and dialectal English rather than spreading through standard speech, so readers outside Scotland may never have met it. Its appeal lies in its precision: where "duck" suggests a quick drop, "jouk" carries the sense of slipping out of the way, the kind of nimble evasion a person makes when dodging a swinging gate or an unwelcome question.

Synonyms: duck, dodge, bob, evade, dip