Buck vs. Stag: What's the Difference?
Edited by Harlon Moss || By Janet White || Updated on September 28, 2023
A buck is a male deer, antelope, or rabbit, typically characterized by antlers or horns, while a stag is a fully mature male deer, often with large, branching antlers.
Key Differences
Buck and stag are terms used to describe male deer, but they are used in different contexts and convey different meanings. A buck is a general term used to describe male deer, antelope, rabbit, or hare. It is often used to refer to males of various species and is not specific to age or size. This term is broadly applicable and encompasses various animals in different stages of life.
In contrast, a stag refers specifically to a mature male deer, usually over five years of age. This term is associated with fully grown, adult male deer that typically have large, branching antlers. Stags are often solitary or may live in small groups, separate from female deer and younger males. They are distinguished by their size, antlers, and behavior, and they are often subjects of hunting due to their impressive antlers.
When discussing the contexts in which these terms are used, buck is a more casual and generalized term, often used in everyday language to refer to male deer or other animals. It doesn't necessarily imply a certain age or maturity level, making it versatile in discussions about wildlife. Stag, however, is more specific and is usually used when discussing mature, adult male deer, particularly in the contexts of hunting and wildlife observation.
In terms of symbolism, stags are often considered symbols of strength, majesty, and solitude due to their impressive antlers and solitary habits. They feature prominently in various cultures and mythologies as representations of nature and the wild. Bucks, being a more generalized term, may not carry the same level of symbolism as stags, but they still represent male wildlife and are significant in ecological discussions.
Comparison Chart
Definition
Male deer, antelope, rabbit, or hare.
Fully mature male deer.
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Age & Maturity
Can refer to males of any age or size.
Refers specifically to fully grown, usually older males.
Antlers
May or may not have antlers, depending on the species.
Typically have large, branching antlers.
Contextual Usage
General term used broadly.
Specific term used for mature male deer.
Symbolism
Represents male wildlife in general.
Symbolizes strength, majesty, and solitude.
Buck and Stag Definitions
Buck
A male deer of any age.
The young buck grazed peacefully in the meadow.
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Stag
A term used in wildlife observation to describe mature male deer.
Observers watched the stag from a distance, noting his behavior.
Buck
A male antelope.
The buck pranced around, showing off his impressive horns.
Stag
The adult male of various deer, especially the red deer.
Buck
A term encompassing various animals in different stages of life.
The buck led the group to a water source.
Stag
An animal, especially a pig, castrated after reaching sexual maturity.
Buck
A male deer.
Stag
A person who attends a social gathering unaccompanied by a partner, especially a man who is unaccompanied by a woman.
Buck
The male of various other mammals, such as antelopes, kangaroos, mice, or rabbits.
Stag
A social gathering for men only.
Buck
Antelope considered as a group
A herd of buck.
Stag
Of or for men only
A stag party.
Buck
A robust or high-spirited young man.
Stag
Pornographic
Stag films.
Buck
A fop.
Stag
Unaccompanied
Went to the dance stag.
Buck
(Offensive) A Native American or black man.
Stag
To attend a social gathering unaccompanied by a partner. Used especially of men.
Buck
An act or instance of bucking
A horse that unseated its rider on the first buck.
Stag
(countable) An adult male deer.
Buck
Buckskin.
Stag
(countable) A colt, or filly.
Buck
Bucks Buckskin breeches or shoes.
Stag
A romping girl; a tomboy.
Buck
A sawhorse or sawbuck.
Stag
(countable) An improperly or late castrated bull or ram – also called a bull seg (see note under ox).
Buck
A leather-covered frame used for gymnastic vaulting.
Stag
An outside irregular dealer in stocks, who is not a member of the exchange.
Buck
(Informal) A dollar.
Stag
One who applies for the allotment of shares in new projects, with a view to sell immediately at a premium, and not to hold the stock.
Buck
(Informal) An amount of money
Working overtime to make an extra buck.
Stag
An unmarried man; a bachelor; a man not accompanying a woman at a social event.
A stag dance; a stag party; a stag bar
Buck
A large round amount of currency, especially a hundred dollars.
Stag
(countable) A social event for men held in honor of a groom on the eve of his wedding, attended by male friends of the groom; sometimes a fundraiser.
The stag will be held in the hotel's ballroom.
Buck
A hundred of some other units, especially miles per hour or pounds
Was doing a buck twenty out on the Interstate.
A boxer weighing in at a buck fifty.
Stag
Guard duty.
Buck
(Games) A counter or marker formerly passed from one poker player to another to indicate an obligation, especially one's turn to deal.
Stag
(countable) A stag beetle (family Lucanidae).
Buck
(Informal) Obligation to account for something; responsibility
Tried to pass the buck for the failure to his boss.
Stag
(countable) The Eurasian wren, Troglodytes troglodytes.
Buck
To leap upward while arching the back
The horse bucked in fright.
Stag
To act as a "stag", an irregular dealer in stocks.
Buck
To charge with the head lowered; butt.
Stag
(transitive) To watch; to dog, or keep track of.
Buck
To make sudden jerky movements; jolt
The motor bucked and lurched before it finally ran smoothly.
Stag
Of a man, attending a formal social function without a date.
My brother went stag to prom because he couldn't find a date.
Buck
To resist stubbornly and obstinately; balk.
Stag
The adult male of the red deer (Cervus elaphus), a large European species closely related to the American elk, or wapiti.
Buck
(Informal) To strive with determination
Bucking for a promotion.
Stag
A colt, or filly; also, a romping girl.
Buck
To throw or toss by bucking
Buck off a rider.
Bucked the packsaddle off its back.
Stag
A castrated bull; - called also bull stag, and bull seg. See the Note under Ox.
Buck
To oppose directly and stubbornly; go against
“Los Angeles County, the most populous county in the country, is bucking the trend” (American Demographics).
Stag
An outside irregular dealer in stocks, who is not a member of the exchange.
Buck
(Football) To charge into (an opponent's line) carrying the ball.
Stag
The European wren.
Buck
To butt against with the head.
Stag
To act as a "stag," or irregular dealer in stocks.
Buck
To pass (a task or duty) to another, especially so as to avoid responsibility
"We will see the stifling of initiative and the increased bucking of decisions to the top" (Winston Lord).
Stag
To watch; to dog, or keep track of.
Buck
Of the lowest rank in a specified military category
A buck private.
A buck sergeant.
Stag
Male red deer
Buck
A male deer, antelope, sheep, goat, rabbit, hare, and sometimes the male of other animals such as the hamster, ferret and shad.
Stag
Adult male deer
Buck
(US) An uncastrated sheep, a ram.
Stag
Attend a dance or a party without a female companion
Buck
A young buck; an adventurous, impetuous, dashing, or high-spirited young man.
Stag
Give away information about somebody;
He told on his classmate who had cheated on the exam
Buck
A fop or dandy.
Stag
Watch, observe, or inquire secretly
Buck
A black or Native American man.
Stag
A fully mature male deer.
The stag stood majestically with his large, branching antlers.
Buck
A unit of a particular currency
Stag
A male deer, typically over five years of age.
The old stag was well-known in the region for his impressive size.
Buck
A dollar (one hundred cents).
Can I borrow five bucks?
Stag
A term specifically used to describe adult male deer in hunting contexts.
Hunters often seek stags due to their impressive antlers.
Buck
A rand (currency unit).
Stag
A symbol of strength and majesty in various cultures.
The stag represents solitude and majesty in many mythologies.
Buck
A euro.
Buck
Money.
Corporations will do anything to make a buck.
Buck
(finance) One million dollars.
Buck
One hundred.
The police caught me driving a buck forty [140 miles per hour] on the freeway.
That skinny guy? C'mon, he can't weigh more than a buck and a quarter [125 pounds].
Buck
Clipping of buckshot
He loaded the shotgun with two rounds of double-ought buck.
Buck
An implement the body of which is likened to a male sheep’s body due maintaining a stiff-legged position as if by stubbornness.
Buck
The body of a post mill, particularly in East Anglia. See Wikipedia:Windmill machinery.
Buck
A frame on which firewood is sawed; a sawhorse; a sawbuck.
Buck
A leather-covered frame used for gymnastic vaulting.
Buck
A wood or metal frame used by automotive customizers and restorers to assist in the shaping of sheet metal bodywork.
Buck
(dated) An object of various types, placed on a table to indicate turn or status; such as a brass object, placed in rotation on a US Navy wardroom dining table to indicate which officer is to be served first, or an item passed around a poker table indicating the dealer or placed in the pot to remind the winner of some privilege or obligation when his or her turn to deal next comes.
Buck
Synonym of buck dance.
Buck
Synonym of mule
Buck
A kind of large marble in children's games.
Buck
(Scotland) The beech tree.
Buck
Lye or suds in which cloth is soaked in the operation of bleaching, or in which clothes are washed.
Buck
The cloth or clothes soaked or washed.
Buck
(intransitive) To copulate, as bucks and does.
Buck
(intransitive) To bend; buckle.
Buck
To leap upward arching its back, coming down with head low and forelegs stiff, forcefully kicking its hind legs upward, often in an attempt to dislodge or throw a rider or pack.
Buck
To throw (a rider or pack) by bucking.
Buck
To subject to a mode of punishment which consists of tying the wrists together, passing the arms over the bent knees, and putting a stick across the arms and in the angle formed by the knees.
Buck
To resist obstinately; oppose or object strongly.
The vice president bucked at the board's latest solution.
Buck
To move or operate in a sharp, jerking, or uneven manner.
The motor bucked and sputtered before dying completely.
Buck
To overcome or shed (e.g., an impediment or expectation), in pursuit of a goal; to force a way through despite (an obstacle); to resist or proceed against.
The plane bucked a strong headwind.
Our managers have to learn to buck the trend and do the right thing for their employees.
John is really bucking the odds on that risky business venture. He's doing quite well.
Buck
(riveting) To press a reinforcing device (bucking bar) against (the force of a rivet) in order to absorb vibration and increase expansion. See Wikipedia: Rivet:Installation.
Buck
(forestry) To saw a felled tree into shorter lengths, as for firewood.
Buck
(electronics) To output a voltage that is lower than the input voltage. See Wikipedia: Buck converter
Buck
To soak, steep or boil in lye or suds, as part of the bleaching process.
Buck
To wash (clothes) in lye or suds, or, in later usage, by beating them on stones in running water.
Buck
(mining) To break up or pulverize, as ores.
Buck
Lye or suds in which cloth is soaked in the operation of bleaching, or in which clothes are washed.
Buck
The cloth or clothes soaked or washed.
Buck
The male of deer, especially fallow deer and antelopes, or of goats, sheep, hares, and rabbits.
Buck
A gay, dashing young fellow; a fop; a dandy.
The leading bucks of the day.
Buck
A male Indian or negro.
Buck
A frame on which firewood is sawed; a sawhorse; a sawbuck.
Buck
The beech tree.
Buck
To soak, steep, or boil, in lye or suds; - a process in bleaching.
Buck
To wash (clothes) in lye or suds, or, in later usage, by beating them on stones in running water.
Buck
To break up or pulverize, as ores.
Buck
To copulate, as bucks and does.
Buck
To spring with quick plunging leaps, descending with the fore legs rigid and the head held as low down as possible; - said of a vicious horse or mule.
Buck
To subject to a mode of punishment which consists in tying the wrists together, passing the arms over the bent knees, and putting a stick across the arms and in the angle formed by the knees.
Buck
A gymnastic horse without pommels and with one end elongated; used lengthwise for vaulting
Buck
A piece of paper money worth one dollar
Buck
United States author whose novels drew on her experiences as a missionary in China (1892-1973)
Buck
A framework for holding wood that is being sawed
Buck
Mature male of various mammals (especially deer or antelope)
Buck
To strive with determination;
John is bucking for a promotion
Buck
Resist;
Buck the trend
Buck
Move quickly and violently;
The car tore down the street
He came charging into my office
Buck
Jump vertically, with legs stiff and back arched;
The yung filly bucked
Buck
Of the lowest rank in a category;
A buck private
Buck
A male rabbit or hare.
The buck was seen foraging with the doe nearby.
Buck
A generalized term for male members of some wildlife species.
We spotted a buck near the forest’s edge during our hike.
FAQs
Do stags usually have larger antlers?
Yes, stags often have large, branching antlers.
Is the term buck more generalized?
Yes, buck is a more generalized term, not specific to age or size.
Is a buck a male deer?
Yes, a buck refers to a male deer.
Is a stag older than a buck?
Yes, a stag refers to a fully mature, often older, male deer.
Can a buck also refer to male antelopes and rabbits?
Yes, the term buck can be used to describe male antelopes, rabbits, and hares.
Do stags symbolize strength and majesty?
Yes, stags are often considered symbols of strength, majesty, and solitude.
Are stags typically solitary?
Stags are often solitary or may live in small groups, separate from females and younger males.
Can the term buck be used for various animal species?
Yes, buck can refer to males of various species like deer, antelope, rabbit, or hare.
Can the term buck imply any specific age?
No, the term buck does not necessarily imply a specific age or maturity level.
Is the term stag used in hunting contexts?
Yes, the term stag is commonly used in hunting to describe mature male deer.
Is a buck generally younger than a stag?
A buck can be of any age, but a stag specifically refers to fully mature, usually older, male deer.
Is the term stag used in wildlife observation?
Yes, the term stag is often used in wildlife observation to describe fully grown male deer.
Can a stag be recognized by its large, branching antlers?
Yes, stags are often recognized by their large, branching antlers.
Is the term buck broadly applicable?
Yes, the term buck is broadly applicable and encompasses various animals in different stages of life.
Does the term buck carry significant symbolism?
Buck represents male wildlife, but it may not carry the same level of symbolism as the stag.
About Author
Written by
Janet WhiteJanet White has been an esteemed writer and blogger for Difference Wiki. Holding a Master's degree in Science and Medical Journalism from the prestigious Boston University, she has consistently demonstrated her expertise and passion for her field. When she's not immersed in her work, Janet relishes her time exercising, delving into a good book, and cherishing moments with friends and family.
Edited by
Harlon MossHarlon is a seasoned quality moderator and accomplished content writer for Difference Wiki. An alumnus of the prestigious University of California, he earned his degree in Computer Science. Leveraging his academic background, Harlon brings a meticulous and informed perspective to his work, ensuring content accuracy and excellence.
