beak

1 of 2

noun

ˈbēk 

1

a

: the bill of a bird

especially : a strong short broad bill

b(1)

: the elongated sucking mouth of some insects (such as the true bugs)

(2)

: any of various rigid projecting mouth structures (as of a turtle)

c

: the human nose

2

: a pointed structure or formation:

a

: a metal-pointed beam projecting from the bow especially of an ancient galley for piercing an enemy ship

b

: the spout of a vessel

c

: a continuous slight architectural projection ending in an arris see molding illustration

d

: a process suggesting the beak of a bird

3

chiefly British

a

: magistrate

b

: headmaster

beaked

ˈbēkt 

adjective

beaky

ˈbē-kē 

adjective

beaky

2 of 2

adjective

ˈbēkē 

-er/-est

: having a beak, especially a noticeable one : resembling a beak

his overcivilized, prim, finely drawn, beaky profile

—Christopher Isherwood

Synonyms of beak

Noun

• mouth
• mandible
• muzzle

Examples of beak in a Sentence

Noun

the beak of a hawk

an actor with a big beak

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

On the other side of the river lies my sandbank, where my dark-skinned sweetheart with the heron-beak nose sits. — Sanat Pai Raikar, Encyclopedia Britannica, 2 Oct. 2026

One of the more notable objects is a full Psittacosaurus skeleton, a small, plant-eating dinosaur with a distinctive beak. — Leigh Anne Miller, ARTnews.com, 2 Oct. 2026

Where Jacob’s process worked with the natural spontaneity (and trial and error) of human handiwork and fabric, AI probably would have just given the birds a warped beak or extra foot. — Alexandra Hildreth, Vogue, 2 Oct. 2026

After correcting for background noise and distance, the researchers could compare the sound readings and compare them in relation to data on different birds’ body sizes and open beak widths. — Amarachi Orie, CNN Money, 29 Sep. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English bek, beek, beke, borrowed from Anglo-French bec (also continental Old French), going back to Latin *beccus, perhaps of Gaulish origin

Note: The historic vowel length that resulted in Modern English beak is perhaps the outcome of Middle English open syllable lengthening in the plural bekes. The form beck without lengthening is sporadically evident until at least the eighteenth century. The noun *beccus is attested only in the derivative proper noun Beccō, the cognomen of a man named Antonius Primus, who killed the emperor Vitellius according to suetonius, in his biographical collection The Twelve Caesars. Suetonius states that Antonius, who was born in Tolosa (Toulose), was in his youth given the name and that "it means the beak of a rooster" ("id valet gallinacei rostrum"). The suffix -ōn-, -ō forms nicknames of persons with a prominent characteristic. The name is presumed to be based on a Gaulish word, though there is no certain Celtic etymon corresponding to beccus.

First Known Use

Noun

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Rhymes for beak

• beek
• bleak
• cheek
• chic
• clique
• creak
• creek
• eke
• freak
• geek
• greek
• leak

Kids Definition

beak

noun

ˈbēk 

1

a

: the bill of a bird

especially : the bill of a bird of prey adapted for striking and tearing

b

: any of various rigid mouth structures (as of a turtle) that stick out

also : the long sucking mouth of some insects

c

: the human nose

2

: a part shaped like a beak

beaked

ˈbēkt 

adjective