ankus

American  

[ang-kuhs, uhng-kuhsh] / ˈæŋ kəs, ˈʌŋ kəʃ /

noun

ankuses plural

1. an elephant goad of India with a spike and a hook at one end.

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ankus British  

/ ˈæŋkəs /

noun

1. a stick used, esp in India, for goading elephants

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Other Word Forms

Inflected Forms

noun

• ankuses
  plural
• ankus
  plural

Etymology

Origin of ankus

1885–90; < Hindi; akin to angle ²

Example Sentences

Mäil!” he thundered, triumphantly, saluting Byram with lifted ankus as the elephant ambled past in a cloud of dust.

From The Maids of Paradise by Chambers, Robert W. (Robert William)

The elephant appeared to understand the mixture of Hindu, French, and Breton—or perhaps it was the sight of the steel ankus that Speed flourished in his quality of mahout.

From The Maids of Paradise by Chambers, Robert W. (Robert William)

Then I shall sit on thy neck, O Kala Nag, with a silver ankus, and men will run before us with golden sticks, crying, 'Room for the King's elephant!'

From The jungle book by Kipling, Rudyard

If the paths that he had followed were sometimes tortuous, along many of them he had been guided by the ankus of that mahout in whose directions his faith had taught him to confide.

From Mount Music by Ross, Martin

I spoke to him, scratched his neck with the ankus, but he would not stop.

From Kari the Elephant by Mukerji, Dhan Gopal