elk

American  

[elk] / ɛlk /

noun

plural

elks,

plural

elk

1. Also called European elk.  the moose, Alces alces.

2. Also called American elk, wapiti.  a large North American deer, Cervus canadensis, the male of which has large, spreading antlers.

3. a pliable leather used for sport shoes, made originally of elk hide but now of calfskin or cowhide tanned and smoked to resemble elk hide.

4. (initial capital letter) a member of a fraternal organization Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks that supports or contributes to various charitable causes.

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elk British  

/ ɛlk /

noun

1. a large deer, Alces alces, of N Europe and Asia, having large flattened palmate antlers: also occurs in North America, where it is called a moose

2. another name for wapiti

3. a stout pliable waterproof leather made from calfskin or horsehide

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Etymology

Origin of elk

before 900; Middle English; Old English eolc, eolh; cognate with German Elch ( Old High German el ( a ) ho ), Latin alcēs, Greek álkē

Explanation

An elk is an animal that's one of the largest member of the deer family. A male elk's antlers can be up to four feet tall. Though smaller than a moose, which is the biggest member of the Cervidae family, an elk towers above most of its deer relations. Male elk, also known as bulls, are famous for their towering antlers, which they shed every spring before growing new ones. Elk is from a Germanic root; these hoofed mammals are also known as wapiti, or "light-skinned deer" from an Algoquan language.

Example Sentences

"It's from something bigger than a cow, from a mammoth, Irish elk and aurochs to more unusual stuff like wild horse or rhino," he told the BBC.

From BBC • Apr. 10, 2026

They also documented where and when wolves killed prey, mainly elk, bison, and deer.

From Science Daily • Mar. 19, 2026

Mountain lions are more visible in winter as they follow deer and elk to lower elevations, she added.

From Barron's • Jan. 2, 2026

Between Raton, N.M., and Trinidad, Colo., amid a gaudy sunset, we crept past a herd of elk, then plunged into a tunnel.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 9, 2025

She might as well have told them not to think of elk.

From "The Unseen Guest" by Maryrose Wood