- a bird's bill, esp. the large, sharp, horny bill of a bird of prey
- a beaklike part or thing, as the protruding mouthpart of various insects, fishes, etc., or the spout of a pitcher
- the metal-covered ram projecting from the prow of an ancient warship
- Slang the nose, esp. if large and hooked
- Archit. the outward-sloping upper surface of the drip of a cornice, by which water is directed away from the wall beneath
Origin of beakMiddle English bek ; from Old French bec ; from Classical Latin beccus ; from Gaulish
- a. The bill of a bird, especially one that is strong and curved, such as that of a hawk or a finch.b. A similar structure in other animals, such as turtles, insects, or fish.
- A usually firm, tapering tip on certain plant structures, such as some seeds and fruits.
- A beaklike structure or part, as:a. The spout of a pitcher.b. A metal or metal-clad ram projecting from the bow of an ancient warship.
- Informal The human nose.
- Chiefly British Slang a. A schoolmaster.b. A judge.
Origin of beakMiddle English bek, from Old French bec, from Latin beccus, of Celtic origin.
top to bottom: black skimmer, pileated woodpecker, and American goldfinch
- A rigid structure projecting from the front of a bird's face, used for pecking, grooming and for eating food.
- A similar structure forming the jaws of an octopus, turtle, etc.
- The long projecting sucking mouth of some insects and other invertebrates, as in the Hemiptera.
- The upper or projecting part of the shell, near the hinge of a bivalve.
- The prolongation of certain univalve shells containing the canal.
- (nautical) The metal point fixed on the bows of a war galley, used as a ram.
- (slang) A justice of the peace, magistrate, headmaster or other person of authority.
- He's up before the beak again tomorrow.
- I clapp'd my peepers full of tears, and so the old beak set me free; I began to weep, and the judge set me free.
- (slang) The human nose, especially one that is large and pointed.
- Anything projecting or ending in a point, like a beak, such as a promontory of land.
- A beam, shod or armed at the end with a metal head or point, and projecting from the prow of an ancient galley, in order to pierce the vessel of an enemy; a beakhead.
- (nautical) That part of a ship, before the forecastle, which is fastened to the stem, and supported by the main knee.
- (architecture) A continuous slight projection ending in an arris or narrow fillet; that part of a drip from which the water is thrown off.
- (botany) Any process somewhat like the beak of a bird, terminating the fruit or other parts of a plant.
- (farriery) A toe clip.
(third-person singular simple present beaks, present participle beaking, simple past and past participle beaked)
- strike with the beak.
- seize with the beak.