beak

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“
Then the raven sharpened the gouge thing which he called his beak--wheep-wheep--upon a stone, as birds do, and tightened his feathers, as if almost visibly tucking up his sleeves for--well, for the job Then he tweaked Cob's tail, apparently just to see how much alive he was.

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Definitions (24)

Toggle American Heritage definitions American Heritage Dictionary (9)

  1. noun The horny, projecting structure forming the mandibles of a bird, especially one that is strong, sharp, and useful in striking and tearing; a bill.
  2. noun A similar structure in other animals, such as turtles, insects, or fish.
  3. noun A usually firm, tapering tip on certain plant structures, such as some seeds and fruits.
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Toggle Century definitions Century Dictionary (9)

Toggle GNU Webster definitions GNU Webster's 1913 (1)

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Examples (50)

  • Her nose was thin and curved like a beak, her pale blue eyes hooded by heavy lids. —  Death of a Dentist
  • I guess being able to kill a man with one blow of your beak is a good way to build a rep. There was actually a little public discussion about the whole hands project, which ended when Sushi made a little public statement to the effect that it was none of our goddamned business. —  F ;SF - vol 099 issue 03 - September 2000
  • Crombie, however, also possessed claws, and his beak was as good in its fashion as teeth. —  The Source of Magic
  • An acrobat, a cell, some self-replicating machines, a ball and a hat-wearing man with a beak will be the stars of the eleventh annual Independent Games Festival, as their games are now the official finalists for the $20,000 Seumas McNally Grand Prize. —  Snackbar Games
  • The only thing bigger than his beak is his love for Roxane (who also happens to be his cousin). —  Houston Press | Complete Issue
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This word has been looked up 115 times.

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Related

Roget's II Roget's II: The New Thesaurus

Allen's Allen's Synonyms and Antonyms

Used in the same context Used in the Same Context

talon ·  claw ·  fang ·  jaw ·  snout ·  tusk ·  feather ·  wing ·  tentacle ·  tooth ·  nose ·  plumage
Roget's II: The New Thesaurus, Third Edition by the Editors of the American Heritage® Dictionary. Copyright © 2003, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Etymologies (4)

Toggle American Heritage etymologies American Heritage Dictionary (1)

  1. Middle English bek, from Old French bec, from Latin beccus, of Celtic origin.

Toggle Century etymologies Century Dictionary (3)

  1. Early modern English also beeke, and, preserving the orig. short vowel, beck, becke, from Middle English beeke, beke, bek, bec = Dutch bek, from Old French bec, French bec = Provencal bec = Spanish Portuguese bico = Italian becco, from Late Latin beccus, a beak, of Old Celtic (Gaulish) origin; but the modern Celtic words, Gael, beic, Irish bec, Bret, bek, are from English or F. The word is notionally associated with English peak, peck, pike, and pick, q. v.
  2. from beak, n.
  3. Same as beck; of obscure origin.
 

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/bik/
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