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tusk

[ tuhsk ]
/ tÊŒsk /
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See synonyms for: tusk / tusks on Thesaurus.com

noun
verb (used with object)
to dig up or tear off with the tusks.
to gore with a tusk.
verb (used without object)
to dig up or thrust at the ground with the tusks.
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Origin of tusk

before 900; Middle English, metathetic variant of tux,Old English, variant of tusctush2; cognate with Old Frisian tusk; akin to tooth

OTHER WORDS FROM tusk

tuskless, adjectivetusklike, adjectiveun·tusked, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use tusk in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for tusk

tusk
/ (tÊŒsk) /

noun
a pointed elongated usually paired tooth in the elephant, walrus, and certain other mammals that is often used for fighting
the canine tooth of certain animals, esp horses
a sharp pointed projection
Also called: tusk tenon building trades a tenon shaped with an additional oblique shoulder to make a stronger joint
verb
to stab, tear, or gore with the tusks

Derived forms of tusk

tusked, adjectivetusklike, adjective

Word Origin for tusk

Old English tūsc; related to Old Frisian tosk; see tooth
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Scientific definitions for tusk

tusk
[ tÅ­sk ]

A long, pointed tooth, usually one of a pair, projecting from the mouth of certain animals, such as elephants, walruses, and wild pigs. Tusks are used for procuring food and as weapons.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
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