Auk

Pronunciation

• IPA: /ɔːk/
• Homophones: awk

Alternative forms

• awk, alk

Origin

From Icelandic álka, from Old Norse álka ("auk"), from Proto-Germanic *allakǭ, *allǭ ("sea-bird"), from Proto-Indo-European *el-. Cognate with Swedish alka ("auk"), Danish alke ("auk"), Swedish dialectal alla (fuligula glacialis, "long-tailed duck"), Latin olor ("swan"), Ancient Greek ελέα (eléa, "marsh-bird"), Welsh alarch ("swan").

Noun

1. Any of several species of Arctic sea birds of the family Alcidae.

Synonyms

• alcid