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auk
[ awk ]
/ ɔk /
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noun
any of several usually black-and-white diving birds of the family Alcidae, of northern seas, having webbed feet and small wings.
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Compare great auk, razor-billed auk.
Origin of auk
1665–75; <Scandinavian; compare Old Norse alka
Words nearby auk
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use auk in a sentence
British Dictionary definitions for auk
auk
/ (ɔːk) /
noun
any of various diving birds of the family Alcidae of northern oceans having a heavy body, short tail, narrow wings, and a black-and-white plumage: order CharadriiformesSee also great auk, razorbill auk
little auk or dovekie a small short-billed auk, Plautus alle, abundant in Arctic regions
Word Origin for auk
C17: from Old Norse ālka; related to Swedish alka, Danish alke
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
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