Turk

¹ American  

[turk] / tɜrk /

noun

1. a native or inhabitant of Turkey.

2. (formerly) a native or inhabitant of the Ottoman Empire.

3. a Muslim, especially a subject of the Sultan of Turkey.

4. a member of any of the peoples speaking Turkic languages.

5. one of a breed of Turkish horses closely related to the Arabian horse.

6. any Turkish horse.

7. Young Turk.

8. Archaic. a cruel, brutal, and domineering man.

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Turk. ² American  

abbreviation

1. Turkey.

2. Turkic. Also Turk

3. Turkish. Also Turk

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Turk ¹ British  

/ tɜːk /

noun

1. a native, inhabitant, or citizen of Turkey

2. a native speaker of any Turkic language, such as an inhabitant of Turkmenistan or Kyrgyzstan

3. obsolete a violent, brutal, or domineering person

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Turk. ² British  

abbreviation

1. Turkey

2. Turkish

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Other Word Forms

• non-Turk noun

Etymology

Origin of Turk

First recorded in 1400–50; from Old French Turc, Middle English Turke, Turque, ultimately from Turkish Türk; compare Medieval Latin Turcus, Medieval Greek Toûrkos, Middle French turc, Italian turco, Persian turk

Example Sentences

"Efforts to further bolster the rule of law, particularly in the justice and detention sectors, must remain a priority to be able to tackle corruption and impunity," said Turk.

From Barron's

UN rights chief Volker Turk echoed the alarm for the effect the plunge in commercial shipping activity could have, "particularly for the world's most vulnerable".

From Barron's

The Iraqi Kurds have good relations with Turkey, and the talk of a broader Kurdish state in the region would alarm the Turks.

From The Wall Street Journal

To navigate the Cayman Islands, Anguilla and Turks and Caicos, they were forced to rely on decades-old maps with serious errors and whole areas missing.

From BBC

UN rights chief Volker Turk condemned "this absolutely tragic incident", and said he hoped investigations would be "prompt, and that they will be done in full transparency".

From Barron's