beak
- 01 B1 Intermediate
n.the hard, pointed part of a bird's head that it uses for eating and picking things up.
n.the rigid, projecting anatomical structure forming the jaws of a bird.
Simple“The eagle held a small fish tightly in its sharp beak.”
In context“The finch's beak has evolved into a specialized tool for cracking open the tough seeds found in its specific habitat.”
Synonymsbillrostrum - 02 B2 Upper Intermediate
n.a person's nose, especially if it is large or pointed.
n.a person's nose, typically one that is prominent, hooked, or pointed.
Simple“He wore a pair of glasses that sat right on the end of his long beak.”
In context“The caricature artist exaggerated the politician's prominent beak, making it the focal point of the entire drawing.”
Synonymssnootconk - 03 C1 Advanced
n.a word for a judge or a person in charge of a court.
n.a magistrate or justice of the peace; occasionally applied to a schoolmaster in specific British contexts.
Simple“He had to appear before the beak for his driving offences.”
In context“The defendant hoped the beak would be in a lenient mood, given that this was his first minor infraction of the law.”
Synonyms - 04 C2 Proficiency
n.a slang name for the drug cocaine.
n.a slang term for cocaine, particularly in powdered form.
Simple“The police found a small bag of beak in the back of the car.”
In context“The documentary explored the devastating impact that the widespread availability of beak has had on local nightlife culture.”
- 05 C1 Advanced
n.the pointed front part of an old ship used for ramming other boats.
n.a metal-shod projection from the prow of an ancient galley used as a ram.
Simple“The ancient warship was equipped with a heavy bronze beak to sink enemy vessels.”
In context“Archaeologists discovered a well-preserved bronze beak on the seabed, providing evidence of the naval tactics used during the Punic Wars.”
Synonyms - 06 C2 Proficiency
v.to hit or pick something up using a beak.
v.to strike, peck, or seize an object with the beak.
Simple“The mother bird would beak the fruit into smaller pieces for her young.”
In context“The territorial swan began to beak the side of the wooden boat, defending its nesting site from the intruders.”
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”).
Unknown; originally cant; first recorded in 17thC; probably related to obsolete cant beck "constable".
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.