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definitions

ankus

[ang-kuh s, uhng-kuh sh]
noun, plural an·kus, an·kus·es.
  1. an elephant goad of India with a spike and a hook at one end.

Origin of ankus

1885–90; < Hindi; akin to angle2
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for ankus

Historical Examples of ankus

  • 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

  • It was plain to see that the elephant had felt the prick of the Mahout's ankus.

    Mount Music

    E. Oe. Somerville and Martin Ross

  • Mowgli told him all his adventures from beginning to end, and Bagheera sniffed at the ankus between whiles.

    The Second Jungle Book

    Rudyard Kipling

  • The ankus flew sparkling, and buried itself point down thirty yards away, between the trees.

    The Second Jungle Book

    Rudyard Kipling

British Dictionary definitions for ankus

ankus

noun plural -kus or -kuses
  1. 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