beak

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   The hard, pointed mouth of a bird.

   The bird carried a worm in its beak.

2. 2
   noun

   The hard mouth of some other animals, such as turtles or squid.

   A squid uses its sharp beak to break apart its food.

3. 3
   noun

   A person's nose, especially a large or pointed one.

   He looked down his long beak at the menu.

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”).

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