Word
elk
US/ˈɛɫk/
UK/ˈɛlk/
Definition
n. a very large deer with big antlers that lives in the forests of North America and parts of Asia.
n. a large cervid of the species Cervus canadensis, native to North America and eastern Asia, characterized by its significant size and branched antlers.
Examples
“We saw a large elk standing near the edge of the forest.”
“During the winter months, the elk migrate down from the high mountains to find food in the valleys.”
“Conservation efforts have successfully reintroduced the elk to several of its former habitats, though competition with local livestock remains a point of contention for nearby farmers.”
Examples
simple
“We saw a large elk standing near the edge of the forest.”
contextual
“During the winter months, the elk migrate down from the high mountains to find food in the valleys.”
complex
“Conservation efforts have successfully reintroduced the elk to several of its former habitats, though competition with local livestock remains a point of contention for nearby farmers.”
Usage
Countable when referring to individual animals; uncountable when referring to the meat or the species as a collective group.
Pitfall
I saw two elks in the field
I saw two elk in the field
Like many large game animals, the plural form 'elk' is often preferred over 'elks' when referring to multiple individuals.
Etymology
From Middle English elk, from Old English eolc, eolh (“elk”), from Proto-West Germanic elh, from Proto-Germanic elhaz, algiz (“elk”), from Proto-Indo-European h₁élḱis, h₁ólḱis, variant of h₁elh₁én, from *h₁el- (“deer”). See also Low German Elk, German Elch, Danish elg, Norwegian elg, Swedish älg; also Polish łoś, Russian лось (losʹ), Vedic Sanskrit ऋश्य (ṛ́śya, “antelope”); also German Elen, Tocharian A yäl, Tocharian B ylem (“gazelle”), Lithuanian élnis (“stag”), Armenian եղնիկ (eġnik, “doe, hind”). Doublet of Elhaz.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.