yak

¹ American  

[yak] / yæk /

noun

1. a large, stocky, shaggy-haired wild ox, Bos grunniens, of the Tibetan highlands, having long, curved horns: endangered.

2. a domesticated variety of this animal.

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yak ² American  

[yak] / yæk /

Also yack,

verb (used without object)

yakked, yakking

1. to talk, especially uninterruptedly and idly; gab; chatter.

   They've been yakking on the phone for over an hour.

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noun

1. incessant idle or gossipy talk.

yak ³ American  

[yak] / yæk /

noun

Slang.

yakked, yakking

1. yuk.

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yak ¹ British  

/ jæk /

noun

1. Also: yakety-yak.  noisy, continuous, and trivial talk or conversation

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verb

1. (intr) to chatter or talk in this way; jabber

yak ² British  

/ jæk /

noun

1. a wild and domesticated type of cattle, Bos grunniens, of Tibet, having long horns and long shaggy hair

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Other Word Forms

• yakker
  noun

Etymology

Origin of yak¹

First recorded in 1785–95; from Tibetan gyag

Origin of yak²

An Americanism dating to 1820–25 for yakety-yak ( def. ) (noun)

Explanation

A yak is a big animal with horns and hooves that's native to Central Asia. A secondary, informal meaning of yak is "to chatter on and on." If you live in the Himalayas, you may spend a lot of time yakking about yaks. Yaks are relatives of cows and oxen, and in many parts of Tibet it's common to drink yak milk, eat yak meat, ride on yaks, and even race yaks. The English word comes from the Tibetan g-yag, "male yak." Yak can also mean "noisy chatter" or, as verb, "to chatter noisily and at length." This meaning is a variant of the verb yack or yuck and is unrelated to the word that denotes the animal.

Example Sentences

As for the cheese, it’s traditionally made with Bhutanese yak cheese for a tangy flavor, and increasingly cow’s milk cheese.

From Salon • Jan. 15, 2026

This is the roof of the world where traffic gives way to yak herders on horseback whistling to reluctant, grunting cattle, as eagles circle above.

From BBC • Jul. 2, 2025

One of them approaches a vendor selling barbecued strips of yak meat.

From BBC • Apr. 16, 2025

But you can also find cheese made with milk from other animals like sheep, goats and even water buffalo and yak.

From Salon • Jul. 24, 2024

One swift pinch of an ear, one assertive push behind a knee, and Kevin the yak was down without even entirely realizing that he’d fallen.

From "Chronicles of a Lizard Nobody" by Patrick Ness