beak
Language: English
Part of speech: noun
Pronunciation: ipa: /biːk/
rhymes: -iːk
homophone: beek
Forms: form: beaks
form: beck
Etymology: From Middle English bec, borrowed from Anglo-Norman bec, Old French bec, from Latin beccus, from Gaulish *bekkos, from Proto-Celtic *bekkos (“beak, snout”), possibly from Proto-Indo-European *bak-, *baḱ- (“pointed stick, peg”). Cognate with Breton beg (“beak”). Compare Saterland Frisian Bäk (“mouth; muzzle; beak”); Dutch bek (“beak; bill; neb”).
Senses: topics: anatomy
medicine
sciences
synonyms: bill
neb
nib
pecker
glosses: A rigid structure projecting from the front of a bird's face, used for pecking, grooming, foraging, carrying items, eating food, etc.
topics: anatomy
medicine
sciences
glosses: A similar pointed structure forming the nose and mouth of various animals, such as turtles, platypuses, whales, etc.
topics: anatomy
medicine
sciences
glosses: The long projecting sucking mouth of some insects and other invertebrates, as in the Hemiptera.
topics: anatomy
medicine
sciences
glosses: The upper or projecting part of the shell, near the hinge of a bivalve.
topics: anatomy
medicine
sciences
glosses: The prolongation of certain univalve shells containing the canal.
topics: anatomy
biology
botany
medicine
natural-sciences
sciences
glosses: Any process somewhat like the beak of a bird, terminating the fruit or other parts of a plant.
examples: text: At the townes end, Cuddenbeak, an ancient house of the Bishops, from a well aduanced Promontory, which intituled it Beak
ref: 1609, Richard Carew, The Survey of Cornwall, London: […] S[imon] S[tafford] for Iohn Iaggard, […], →OCLC:
glosses: Anything projecting or ending in a point like a beak, such as a promontory of land.
topics: architecture
glosses: A continuous slight projection ending in an arris or narrow fillet; that part of a drip from which the water is thrown off.
topics: farriery
hobbies
horses
lifestyle
pets
sports
glosses: A toe clip.
examples: Holonyms: bow, stem, forestem, prow, prore < ship < vessel
topics: nautical
transport
glosses: That part of a ship, before the forecastle, which is fastened to the stem, and supported by the main knee.
examples: Holonyms: bow, stem, forestem, prow, prore < ship < vessel
topics: nautical
transport
synonyms: beakhead#Noun
glosses: A beam, shod or armed at the end with a metal head or point, and projecting from the prow of an ancient galley, used as a ram to pierce the vessel of an enemy.
topics: biology
entomology
natural-sciences
glosses: Any of various nymphalid butterflies of the genus Libythea, notable for the beak-like elongation on their heads.
examples: text: "You mind your own business, curse you!" growled Silas. "I've told you before now not to push that long, sheeny beak of yours into my affairs. If you was a man I'd know better how to speak to you."
ref: 1925 July – 1926 May, A[rthur] Conan Doyle, “Which Introduces Some Very Physical Phenomena”, in The Land of Mist, New York, N.Y.: A[lbert] L[evi] Burt Company, published 1926, →OCLC, page 186:
synonyms: honker
schnozzle
glosses: A person's nose, especially one that is large and pointed.
examples: text: Shut your beak!
text: 'Did you think that bloody question up by yourself, pal?' Seánie snapped, and the guy opened and closed his beak a few times — I suppose he must have been surprised that a priest would talk like that.
ref: 1998, Joseph O'Connor, The Salesman, London: Secker & Warburg, →ISBN, page 43:
text: Typical Yankee detractor, nize your beak.
ref: 2020 October 19, u/southsidejane, “How do we stop the violence in the city (Serious Answers only ) how do we make the different hoods in Toronto make amends and squash the beef.”, in Reddit, r/Torontology, archived from the original on 08 Jan 2024:
qualifier: especially MTE
glosses: A person's mouth.
examples: text: I just stay in bed till about 2pm. Then I sit around and smoke weed. Sometimes we do beak [cocaine] or garys [ecstasy or MDMA] but I don't do that on the street because your jaw swings like fuck and you would need a good kip half the time. I do it every weekend though and it's fucking great. I'm being good tonight. I'll have a Bud and a smoke.
ref: 2007 August 24, Audrey Gillan, anonymous quotee, “The Nogzy, the Crocky and the bizzies - a teen 'soldier' speaks”, in Alan Rusbridger, editor, The Guardian, London: Guardian News & Media, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 09 Jul 2022:
glosses: Cocaine.
Derived terms: beak and feather disease
beakfish
beakful
beakhead
beak-iron
beakish
beakless
beaklike
beakload
beaktip
beaky
bird's beak
boko
crossbeak
debeak
grosbeak
halfbeak
hornbeak
kakabeak
longbeak
parrot-beaked
psittacine beak and feather disease
saw-beaked
sneaky beak
stickybeak
wet one's beak