auk

American  

[awk] / ɔk /

noun

1. 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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auk British  

/ ɔːk /

noun

1. 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 Charadriiformes See also great auk razorbill auk

2. a small short-billed auk, Plautus alle, abundant in Arctic regions

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Etymology

Origin of auk

1665–75; < Scandinavian; compare Old Norse alka

Example Sentences

The Hall of Extinction and Hope analogizes manmade climate change and habitat destruction to a slow-moving asteroid that has already obliterated species such as the passenger pigeon, dodo and great auk.

From The Wall Street Journal

"Under the perpetual daylight, little auks exhibit an acoustic pattern that mirrors their behavioral cycles -- such as attendance, feeding, and fledging -- offering valuable insights into their ecological dynamics."

From Science Daily

"In the small intestine/of the little auk/we found Mexico City, Manila, Shanghai, New York."

From BBC

Despite their prodigious size, Kumimanu and Petradyptes possessed primitive flippers reminiscent of modern seabirds like auks and puffins that fly and dive.

From New York Times

Many sights described in his vivid prose can no longer be seen, like the great auk, which the naturalist mistakenly called a penguin.

From Washington Post