orc
noun
any of several cetaceans, as a grampus.
orc
1 American
[awrk]
/ ɔrk /
noun
-
orcs
plural
-
any of several cetaceans, as a grampus.
-
a mythical monster, as an ogre.
O.R.C.
2
American
abbreviation
orc
British
/ ɔːk /
noun
-
any of various whales, such as the killer and grampus
-
one of an imaginary race of evil goblins, esp in the fiction of J.R.R. Tolkien
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of orc
First recorded in 1520–30; partly from Middle French orque, a kind of whale, partly from Italian orca “large whale, fabulous sea monster,” partly from Latin orca, a kind of whale; see origin at orca ( def. ); see also Orcus ( def. ), ogre
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
The spell is only broken when the night ends, not with an out-of-control orc or goblin but with something far more mundane: a bill.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 4, 2024
At another, Monet challenged an orc to solitaire instead of fighting it.
From Seattle Times ● Jan. 24, 2024
Because it was Adar, called “father” by his orc followers, who killed Sauron to protect his people.
From New York Times ● Oct. 4, 2022
I'm using pots and pans on orcs, and Elijah's got the mithril vest to stave off the orc, or the whatever, the cave troll stabs him with the spear.
From Salon ● Jan. 24, 2022
A quick duck had saved him; and he had felled his orc: a sturdy thrust with his Barrow-blade.
From "The Fellowship of the Ring" by J.R.R. Tolkien
Near Harrismith, O.R.C., in 1903, two herd boys with a troop of about a hundred goats and calves were caught by the hail.
From Jock of the Bushveld by Sir Percy Fitzpatrick
O.R.C., who is a well-known contributor to the American Rifleman and the Infantry Journal and Antiques and the old Gun Report.
From Murder in the Gunroom by H. Beam Piper
Actors played all types of ghoulish creatures, including orcs and vampires.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 31, 2025
Before long, Spencer was battling orcs and trolls on his phone while playing the new mobile game Warcraft Rumble.
From Seattle Times ● Nov. 13, 2023
By feeding assets like the combative orcs of World of Warcraft, the macabre dungeons of Diablo and the vivacious heroes of Overwatch into the machine, Blizzard can effortlessly produce concept art for new ideas.
From New York Times ● May 22, 2023
And leaving the orcs to fight among themselves wouldn’t be the worst thing.
From Washington Post ● Nov. 1, 2022
In one Sam had found some water left, stale, muddied by the orcs, but still sufficient for their desperate case.
From "The Return of the King" by J.R.R. Tolkien
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