ankus

[ ang-kuh s, uhng-kuh sh ]

/ ˈæŋ kəs, ˈʌŋ kəʃ /

noun, plural an·kus, an·kus·es.

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

Nearby words

ankle sock, ankle-deep, anklebone, anklet, anklung, ankus, ankylo-, ankyloblepharon, ankyloglossia, ankylopoietic, ankyloproctia

Origin of ankus

1885–90; < Hindi; akin to angle²

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for ankus

The ankus flew sparkling, and buried itself point down thirty yards away, between the trees.
The Second Jungle Book|Rudyard Kipling
On he came, amid a rising roar of approval, Speed in gorgeous robes perched on high, 295 ankus raised.
The Maids of Paradise|Robert W. (Robert William) Chambers
I spoke to him, scratched his neck with the ankus, but he would not stop.
Kari the Elephant|Dhan Gopal Mukerji
If thou wilt give me the ankus to take away, it is good hunting.
The Second Jungle Book|Rudyard Kipling

Mowgli told him all his adventures from beginning to end, and Bagheera sniffed at the ankus between whiles.
The Second Jungle Book|Rudyard Kipling

British Dictionary definitions for ankus

ankus

/ (ˈæŋkəs) /

noun plural -kus or -kuses

a stick used, esp in India, for goading elephants

Word Origin for ankus

from Hindi

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012