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

"Forcing displaced people to undertake unsafe and involuntary returns is a human rights violation," Turk stressed.

From Barron's

Residents of island territory Turks and Caicos later reported finding scraps of burned rubber and destroyed heat tiles that had washed ashore.

From The Wall Street Journal

UN human rights chief Volker Turk said Thursday that trafficked foreign nationals forced to carry out scams in Cambodia were "now exposed to further risk by the fighting", and called for their evacuation.

From Barron's

They lived in Ottoman Salonica, a melting-pot of Greeks, Turks, Jews, Albanians and cosmopolitan traders from all over Europe.

From The Wall Street Journal

The foreign ministry said Pakistan was "fully committed to protecting... basic freedoms and the rule of law as enshrined in the constitution", responding to criticism from UN rights chief Volker Turk.

From Barron's