Phrase guide

great auk

noun · 2 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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No pronunciation record was provided for this word.

1

noun

Meaning 1

A large extinct auk (†Pinguinus impennis).

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

large flightless auk of rocky islands off northern Atlantic coasts; extinct

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: Pinguinus impennis

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: auk

History

Etymology

Probably from an early Scandinavian word (compare Old (West) Norse álka, Norwegian alke (“razorbill”)).

Across languages

Translations

25 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Breton: god bras — Pinguinus impennis
  • Catalan: gran gavot — Pinguinus impennis
  • Chinese Mandarin: 大海雀 (dàhǎiquè) — Pinguinus impennis
  • Dutch: reuzenalk — Pinguinus impennis
  • Esperanto: granda aŭko — Pinguinus impennis
  • Faroese: gorfuglur — Pinguinus impennis
  • Faroese: geirfuglur — Pinguinus impennis
  • Finnish: isoruokki — Pinguinus impennis
  • Finnish: siivetönruokki — Pinguinus impennis
  • Finnish: jättiläisruokki — Pinguinus impennis
  • French: grand pingouin — Pinguinus impennis
  • German: Riesenalk — Pinguinus impennis
  • Greenlandic: isarukitsok — Pinguinus impennis
  • Icelandic: geirfugl — Pinguinus impennis
  • Irish: falcóg mhór — Pinguinus impennis
  • Japanese: 大海烏 — Pinguinus impennis
  • Korean: 큰바다쇠오리 (keunbadasoe'ori) — Pinguinus impennis
  • Norwegian: geirfugl — Pinguinus impennis
  • Old Norse: geirfugl — Pinguinus impennis
  • Polish: alka olbrzymia — Pinguinus impennis
  • Portuguese: arau-gigante — Pinguinus impennis
  • Scottish Gaelic: gearra-bhall — Pinguinus impennis
  • Spanish: alca gigante — Pinguinus impennis
  • Swedish: garfågel — Pinguinus impennis
  • Welsh: carfil mawr — Pinguinus impennis