ilk

¹ American  

[ilk] / ɪlk /

noun

1. family, class, or kind.

   he and all his ilk.

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adjective

1. same.

idioms

1. of that ilk,

   1. (in Scotland) of the same family name or place.

      Ross of that ilk, i.e., Ross of Ross.

   2. of the same class or kind.

ilk ² American  

[ilk] / ɪlk /

pronoun

1. each.

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adjective

1. each; every.

ilk ¹ British  

/ ɪlk /

noun

1. a type; class; sort (esp in the phrase of that, his, her, etc, ilk )

   people of that ilk should not be allowed here

2. of the place of the same name: used to indicate that the person named is proprietor or laird of the place named

   Moncrieff of that ilk

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ilk ² British  

/ ɪlk, ˈɪlkə /

determiner

1. each; every

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Usage

Although the use of ilk in the sense of sense 1 is sometimes condemned as being the result of a misunderstanding of the original Scottish expression of that ilk , it is nevertheless well established and generally acceptable

Etymology

Origin of ilk¹

before 900; Middle English ilke, Old English ilca (pronoun) the same, equivalent to demonstrative i (cognate with Gothic is he, Latin is that) + a reduced form of līc like ¹; which, such

Origin of ilk²

before 900; Middle English ilk, north variant of ilch, Old English ylc (pronoun) each

Example Sentences

Vaudeville memory acts used it; Mr. Dylan is of their ilk, working the same stages in a slightly different branch of entertainment.

From The Wall Street Journal

They’ve been making him bundles but represent an ilk with which he can no longer be associated.

From The Wall Street Journal

She is insufferable, attaches herself to the couple, and clearly isn’t aware of what CW did to her ilk in Thailand, during the rampage of the first movie.

From The Wall Street Journal

“But what of the Incorrigible children?” and questions of that ilk.

From Literature

But instead of Big Ben and Buckingham Palace, the illustrations showed crystal-blue alpine lakes and edelweiss-covered meadows populated with snow larks, mountain hares, and other wildlife of that Swiss ilk.

From Literature