yak

1 of 4

noun (1)

ˈyak 

plural yaks also yak

: a large long-haired wild or domesticated ox (Bos grunniens synonym Poephagus grunniens) of Tibet and adjacent elevated parts of central Asia

Illustration of yak

• ¹yak

yak

2 of 4

noun (2)

ˈyäk  ˈyak 

less common variant of yuk entry 1

1

slang : laugh

did it just for yuks

2

slang : joke, gag

yak

3 of 4

verb

ˈyak 

variants or less commonly yack

yakked also yacked; yakking also yacking

intransitive verb

: to talk persistently : chatter

yak

4 of 4

noun (3)

variants or less commonly yack

: persistent or voluble talk

Examples of yak in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

There were also yaks, deer, buffalo, camels, a kangaroo, ostriches, eight monkeys, six raccoons, two grizzly bears, black bears, brown bears, seals, lions, an old tiger, a blind hyena, a circus elephant, an alligator and 400 birds, including a talking crow. —Jeff Suess, The Enquirer, 2 July 2025

More than 500 of them, in fact, from native whitetail deer to yaks, scimitar oryx, and water buffalo. —Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 28 Apr. 2025

Verb

Probabilities decrease the further to the right, but multiplying terms gives one a rough guess of who’s out there yakking it up. —Clyde Wayne Crews Jr, Forbes.com, 14 July 2025

Safety car after safety car wailed by, while young fans argued about their favorite drivers and old fans yakked about seasons gone by. —Raphael Orlove, Robb Report, 6 Feb. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

Tibetan (Lhasa dialect) yaʔ (spelled gyag)

Verb

probably imitative

First Known Use

Noun (1)

1795, in the meaning defined above

Verb

1949, in the meaning defined above

Noun (3)

1950, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for yak

• ack
• brack
• clack
• crack
• dak
• flack
• flak
• hack
• jack
• knack
• lac
• lack

Kids Definition

yak

noun

ˈyak

plural yaks also yak

: a large long-haired wild or domesticated ox of Tibet and nearby elevated parts of central Asia