yak

[ yak ]

/ yæk /

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See synonyms for: yak / yakked / yakking / yaks on Thesaurus.com

noun

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

a domesticated variety of this animal.

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His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

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Origin of yak

First recorded in 1785–95; from Tibetan gyag

Words nearby yak

Yahweh, Yahwism, Yahwist, Yahwistic, Yajur-Veda, yak, Yakama, yakety-yak, Yakima, yakitori, yakka

Other definitions for yak (2 of 3)

yak²

[ yak ]

/ yæk /

Slang.

verb (used without object), yakked, yak·king.

to talk, especially uninterruptedly and idly; gab; chatter: They've been yakking on the phone for over an hour.

noun

incessant idle or gossipy talk.

Also yack, yakety-yak .

Origin of yak

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

OTHER WORDS FROM yak

yakker, noun

Other definitions for yak (3 of 3)

yak³

[ yak ]

/ yæk /

noun, verb (used with or without object), yakked, yak·king.Slang.

yuk¹.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use yak in a sentence

The region, which is the traditional homeland of the Sherpa people, is known for its high-altitude peaks, though the park’s terrain varies from jewel-toned glacial rivers to grazing lands for herds of yak to verdant forests of bamboo and hemlock.
The 30 Best National Parks in the World|Patty Hodapp|February 25, 2022|Outside Online
Muskox, reindeer, moose, bison, yak, sheep, Yukatian horses and Kalmykian cows have arrived over the years.
Rewilding returns lost species to strengthen ecosystems|Alison Pearce Stevens|January 6, 2022|Science News For Students
There’s enough baggage here to bow a yak, and watching them unpack it makes for raw viewing.
‘Torn’ Is a Wrenching Look at the Long Shadow of Alex Lowe|jversteegh|December 22, 2021|Outside Online
Around 150 animals live here, including horses, moose, reindeer, bison and yaks.
Will the woolly mammoth return?|Kathryn Hulick|September 23, 2021|Science News For Students

The greater availability of this wild prey reduces the risks to yaks from wolves and snow leopards, point out conservationists.
Where Shepherds Save Wolves — Thanks to Buddhism|Charu Kasturi|March 10, 2021|Ozy
“I happened upon yak butter tea, a traditional high-energy food eaten by Tibetans,” Asprey says.
Bulletproof Coffee and the Case for Butter as a Health Food|DailyBurn|December 27, 2014|DAILY BEAST
This was the place where I had met the yak herds two months before when they were pasturing their yaks on the grassy uplands.
Mount Everest the Reconnaissance, 1921|Charles Kenneth Howard-Bury
The yak dung is in many places the only fuel to be got and is most carefully picked up.
Mount Everest the Reconnaissance, 1921|Charles Kenneth Howard-Bury
In the Rongbuk Valley there was no wood and our supply of yak dung had to come up from Chbuk.
Mount Everest the Reconnaissance, 1921|Charles Kenneth Howard-Bury
He was walking with a disciple on the mountain one day, when they found an old yak's horn lying in the path.
Mount Everest the Reconnaissance, 1921|Charles Kenneth Howard-Bury
It might be supposed that so hairy an animal as the yak would become dirty and unkempt.
Mount Everest the Reconnaissance, 1921|Charles Kenneth Howard-Bury

British Dictionary definitions for yak (1 of 2)

yak¹

/ (jæk) /

noun

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

Word Origin for yak

C19: from Tibetan gyag

British Dictionary definitions for yak (2 of 2)

yak²

/ (jæk) slang /

noun

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

verb yaks, yakking or yakked

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

Word Origin for yak

C20: of imitative origin

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

yak

Origin of yak

Words nearby yak

Other definitions for yak (2 of 3)

Origin of yak

OTHER WORDS FROM yak

Other definitions for yak (3 of 3)

Words related to yak

How to use yak in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for yak (1 of 2)

Word Origin for yak

British Dictionary definitions for yak (2 of 2)

Word Origin for yak