Word Origin & History
beakearly 13c., "bird's bill," from O.Fr. bec (Fr. bec) "beak," figuratively "mouth," also "tip or point of a nose, a lance, a ship, a shoe," 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
EXPANDmay be a link in O.E. becca "pickax, sharp end." Jocular sense of "human nose" is from 1854.
COLLAPSE