Word: beak Part of Speech: noun 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”). Pronunciation: /biːk/ 1. A rigid structure projecting from the front of a bird's face, used for pecking, grooming, foraging, carrying items, eating food, etc. Labels: countable, uncountable 2. A similar pointed structure forming the nose and mouth of various animals, such as turtles, platypuses, whales, etc. Labels: countable, uncountable 3. The long projecting sucking mouth of some insects and other invertebrates, as in the Hemiptera. Labels: countable, uncountable 4. The upper or projecting part of the shell, near the hinge of a bivalve. Labels: countable, uncountable 5. The prolongation of certain univalve shells containing the canal. Labels: countable, uncountable 6. Any process somewhat like the beak of a bird, terminating the fruit or other parts of a plant. Labels: countable, uncountable 7. Anything projecting or ending in a point like a beak, such as a promontory of land. Labels: broadly, countable, uncountable Example: At the townes end, Cuddenbeak, an ancient house of the Bishops, from a well aduanced Promontory, which intituled it Beak 8. A continuous slight projection ending in an arris or narrow fillet; that part of a drip from which the water is thrown off. Labels: broadly, countable, uncountable 9. A toe clip. Labels: broadly, countable, uncountable 10. That part of a ship, before the forecastle, which is fastened to the stem, and supported by the main knee. Labels: broadly, countable, uncountable Example: Holonyms: bow, stem, forestem, prow, prore < ship < vessel 11. 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. Labels: broadly, countable, uncountable Example: Holonyms: bow, stem, forestem, prow, prore < ship < vessel 12. Any of various nymphalid butterflies of the genus Libythea, notable for the beak-like elongation on their heads. Labels: broadly, countable, uncountable 13. A person's nose, especially one that is large and pointed. Labels: countable, slang, uncountable Example: "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." 14. A person's mouth. Labels: Eastern, Ontario, countable, especially, slang, uncountable Example: Shut your beak! Example: '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. 15. Cocaine. Labels: Southern-England, slang, uncountable Example: 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.