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

Steve Turk, a partner at vacation rental company Tangy Management, said rentals in Miami are booking at higher rates on Inter Miami match weekends, especially within driving distance of the stadium.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 11, 2026

International humanitarian law spells out clearly that civilians and civilian infrastructure must be protected, said Turk.

From Barron's • Apr. 8, 2026

"Two of these 15 made the crossing," Abdulkadir Uraloglu told CNN's Turk channel.

From BBC • Apr. 4, 2026

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 • Mar. 6, 2026

“I just feel better when I know what’s going on, that’s all,” the Turk mumbled.

From "The Princess Bride" by William Goldman