Beak Meaning
/biːk/Definition, CEFR level B2, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
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Definition
nounA rigid structure projecting from the front of a bird's face, used for pecking, grooming, foraging, carrying items, eating food, etc.
nounA similar pointed structure forming the nose and mouth of various animals, such as turtles, platypuses, whales, etc.
Sentence Examples
The bird picked up the twig with its beak and flew to its nest.
A pelican can fit a lot of fish in its beak.
CEFR Practice Quiz
The eagle used its sharp curved ____ to tear apart the fish it had just caught from the river.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The bird used its sharp ____ to crack open the hard shell of the nut.
Word Origin & History
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”).
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"At the townes end, Cuddenbeak, an ancient house of the Bishops, from a well aduanced Promontory, which intituled it Beak"
— 1609, Richard Carew, The Survey of Cornwall, London: […] S[imon] S[tafford] for Iohn Iaggard, […], →OCLC:
""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.""
— 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:
"'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."
— 1998, Joseph O'Connor, The Salesman, London: Secker & Warburg, →ISBN, page 43:
"Typical Yankee detractor, nize your beak."
— 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:
"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."
— 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:
Explore More B2 Vocabulary Words
CEFR Practice Quiz
The eagle used its sharp curved ____ to tear apart the fish it had just caught from the river.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The bird used its sharp ____ to crack open the hard shell of the nut.