auk

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition

1. n. Any of several diving sea birds (family Alcidae) of northern regions, such as the razor-billed auk, having a chunky body, short wings, and webbed feet.

Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia

1. n. A diving bird belonging to the family Alcidæ and the order Pygopodes, characterized by having 3 toes, webbed feet, and short wings and tail. Originally the name was specifically applied to the great auk, or garefowl, Alca impennis, which became extinct about 1844, notable as the largest bird of the family and the only one deprived of the power of flight by reason of the smallness of its wings, though these were as perfectly formed as in other birds. It was about 30 inches long, the length of the wing being only about 6 inches. Its color was dark-brown above and white below, with a large white spot before the eye. It abounded on both coasts of the North Atlantic, nearly or quite to the arctic circle, and south on the American side to Massachusetts. The name came to be also specifically applied to the razor-billed auk, Alca or Utamania torda, a similar but much smaller species, about 15 inches long, with a white line instead of a spot before the eye; and finally, as a book-name, it was made synonymous with Alcidæ. Several North Pacific species still bear the name, as the rhinoceros auk (Ceratorhina monocerata), the crested auk (Simorhynchus cristatellus), etc.; but other special names are usually found for most of the birds of this family, as puffin, murre, guillemot, dovekie, auklet, etc. There are about 24 species belonging to the family. See Alca, Alcidæ.
2. Same as awk.

Wiktionary

1. n. Any of several species of Arctic sea birds of the family Alcidae.

GNU Webster's 1913

1. n. (Zoöl.) A name given to various species of arctic sea birds of the family Alcidæ. The great auk, now extinct, is Alca impennis (or Plautus impennis) . The razor-billed auk is Alca torda. See puffin, guillemot, and murre.

WordNet 3.0

1. n. black-and-white short-necked web-footed diving bird of northern seas