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beak

/bik/
/bik/
IPA guide

Other forms: beaks; beaked

When you see a bird pecking around in your backyard, it’s using its beak to probe the ground for food. A beak is the hard, pointed structure sticking out from a bird’s face.

The word beak refers to the bill on a bird, which protrudes from the face and is used for eating, grooming, and pecking. You can think of it sort of like the mouth of a bird, only it’s made up of hard, horny material rather than flesh. The word beak is sometimes used informally to refer to a person’s nose, especially if the nose is large, prominent, and protruding — in other word, sort of like a bird’s beak.

Definitions of beak
  1. noun
    the projecting mouth of a bird
    synonyms: bill, neb, nib, pecker
    see moresee less
    types:
    cere
    the fleshy, waxy covering at the base of the upper beak of some birds
    type of:
    mouth
    the externally visible part of the oral cavity on the face and the system of organs surrounding the opening
  2. noun
    beaklike mouth of animals other than birds (e.g., turtles)
    see moresee less
    type of:
    mouth
    the externally visible part of the oral cavity on the face and the system of organs surrounding the opening
  3. noun
    informal terms for the nose
    see moresee less
    type of:
    nose, olfactory organ
    the organ of smell and entrance to the respiratory tract; the prominent part of the face of man or other mammals
  4. noun
    a beaklike, tapering tip on certain plant structures
    see moresee less
    type of:
    tip
    the extreme end of something, especially something pointed
  5. verb
    hit lightly with a picking motion
    synonyms: peck, pick
    see moresee less
    type of:
    strike, zonk
    deliver a sharp blow, as with the hand, fist, or weapon
Pronunciation
US
/bik/
UK
/bik/
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