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beak

 - 8 dictionary results

beak

  [beek]
–noun
1. the bill of a bird; neb.
2. any similar horny mouthpart in other animals, as the turtle or duckbill.
3. anything beaklike or ending in a point, as the spout of a pitcher.
4. Slang. a person's nose.
5. Entomology. proboscis (def. 3).
6. Botany. a narrowed or prolonged tip.
7. Nautical. (formerly) a metal or metal-sheathed projection from the bow of a warship, used to ram enemy vessels; ram; rostrum.
8. Typography. a serif on the arm of a character, as of a K.
9. Also called bird's beak. Architecture. a pendant molding forming a drip, as on the soffit of a cornice.
10. Chiefly British Slang.
a. a judge; magistrate.
b. a schoolmaster.
Use beak in a Sentence
Origin:
1175–1225; ME bec < OF < L beccus < Gaulish

Related forms:
beaked  [beekt, bee-kid] , adjective
beakless, adjective
beaklike, adjective
beaky, adjective

pro⋅bos⋅cis

  [proh-bos-is, -kis]
–noun, plural -bos⋅cis⋅es, -bos⋅ci⋅des  [-bos-i-deez] .
1. the trunk of an elephant.
2. any long flexible snout, as of the tapir.
3. Also called beak. the elongate, protruding mouth parts of certain insects, adapted for sucking or piercing.
4. any of various elongate feeding, defensive, or sensory organs of the oral region, as in certain leeches and worms.
5. Facetious. the human nose, esp. when unusually long or prominent.
Origin:
1570–80; < L < Gk proboskís elephant's trunk, lit., feeder, equiv. to pro- pro- 2 + bósk(ein) to feed + -is (s. -id-) n. suffix
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2010.
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beak   (bēk)   


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n.  

    1. 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. A similar structure in other animals, such as turtles, insects, or fish.

    3. The spout of a pitcher.

    4. A metal or metal-clad ram projecting from the bow of an ancient warship.

    5. A schoolmaster.

    6. A judge.

  2. A usually firm, tapering tip on certain plant structures, such as some seeds and fruits.

  3. A beaklike structure or part, as:

    1. The spout of a pitcher.

    2. A metal or metal-clad ram projecting from the bow of an ancient warship.

    3. A schoolmaster.

    4. A judge.

  4. Informal The human nose.

  5. Chiefly British Slang

    1. A schoolmaster.

    2. A judge.


[Middle English bek, from Old French bec, from Latin beccus, of Celtic origin.]
beaked (bēkt) adj.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
Cite This Source
Slang Dictionary
beak

  1. n.
    a nose. : What a beak on that guy!
  2. in.
    to gossip; to chatter. : Stop beaking and get to work.
Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions by Richard A. Spears.Fourth Edition.
Copyright 2007. Published by McGraw Hill.
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Word Origin & History

proboscis 
1609, "elephant's trunk," from L. proboscis (Pliny), from Gk. proboskis "elephant's trunk," lit. "means for taking food," from pro "forward" + boskein "to nourish, feed," from boskesthai "graze, be fed," from stem *bot- (cf. botane "grass, fodder;" see botany).

beak 
c.1220, "bird's bill," from O.Fr. bec, from L. beccus, said by Suetonius ("De vita Caesarum" 18) to be of Gaulish origin, perhaps from Gaulish beccus, possibly related to Celt. stem bacc- "hook." Or there may be a link in O.E. becca "pickax." Jocular sense of "human nose" is from 1854.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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Medical Dictionary

Main Entry: pro·bos·cis
Pronunciation: pr&-'bäs-&s, -k&s
Function: noun
Inflected Form: plural pro·bos·cis·es also pro·bos·ci·des /-'bäs-&-"dEz/
: any of various elongated or extensible tubularorgans or processes especially of the oral region of an invertebrate: as a : a sucking organ of insects (as houseflies or mosquitoes) that is often also adapted for piercing b : one of the complex protrusible holdfasts on the scolex of certain tapeworms
Merriam-Webster's Medical Dictionary, © 2002 Merriam-Webster, Inc.
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Science Dictionary
proboscis   (prō-bŏs'ĭs)  Pronunciation Key 
Plural proboscises or proboscides (prō-bŏs'ĭ-dēz')

  1. A long, flexible snout or trunk, as of an elephant.

  2. The slender, tubular feeding and sucking organ of certain invertebrates, such as butterflies and mosquitoes.


The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
Copyright © 2002. Published by Houghton Mifflin. All rights reserved.
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