auk
Auk (noun) means any of several species of Arctic seabirds belonging to the family Alcidae. Example: “Auks nest in large colonies on cliffs and rocky coasts.”
How to use auk
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA seabird that lives on cold northern coasts and belongs to a family of diving birds called Alcidae.
It is a plain, everyday term in ornithology and nature writing rather than a technical one.
Auk is pronounced the same as awk and, for many speakers, the same as orc, so context tells you which word is meant.
Trace the full origin ↓Fill the gap
Can you complete this real example?
_____ nest in large colonies on cliffs and rocky coasts.
Etymology
The word comes from Icelandic álka, which goes back to Old Norse alka. This in turn traces to a Proto-Germanic root, and further back to a Proto-Indo-European root meaning a kind of bird. It is related to similar words for the bird in Swedish, Norwegian and Danish.
