tusk
[ tuhsk ]
/ tʌsk /
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.
QUIZZES
DISCOVER THE INFLUENCE OF PORTUGUESE ON ENGLISH VIA THIS QUIZ!
We’ve gathered some interesting words donated to English from Portuguese … as well as some that just don’t translate at all. Do you know what they mean?
Question 1 of 11
Which of the following animal names traces its immediate origin to Portuguese?
Origin of tusk
OTHER WORDS FROM tusk
tuskless, adjectivetusklike, adjectiveun·tusked, adjectiveWords nearby tusk
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021
Example sentences from the Web for tusk
British Dictionary definitions for tusk
tusk
/ (tʌsk) /
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, adjectiveWord 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
[ tŭsk ]
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.