Standard Lemma guide
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
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
name
Initialism of Orange River Colony.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: abbreviation, alt-of, initialism
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
name
Acronym of Otago Regional Council.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: abbreviation, acronym, alt-of
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
name
Abbreviation of Oregon City.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: abbreviation, alt-of
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Any of several large, ferocious sea creatures, now especially the killer whale.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: archaic
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
A mythical evil monstrous humanoid creature, usually quite aggressive and often green.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Topics: fantasy, human-sciences, mysticism, mythology, philosophy, sciences
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: greenskin
noun
A Russian soldier or gangster.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: derogatory, slang
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
A Russian person.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: Internet, broadly, ethnic, slur
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Acronym of odd radio circle, a very large unexplained astronomical object.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: abbreviation, acronym, alt-of, countable, uncountable
Topics: astronomy, natural-sciences
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Initialism of organized retail crime.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: abbreviation, alt-of, countable, initialism, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Initialism of origin recognition complex.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: abbreviation, alt-of, countable, initialism, uncountable
Topics: biochemistry, biology, chemistry, microbiology, natural-sciences, physical-sciences
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Alternative form of orc (monstrous warrior in fantasy; Russian soldier)
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: alt-of, alternative, derogatory, slang
Topics: fiction, literature, media, publishing
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
History
From Middle French orque, Italian orca, and their source, Latin orca (“type of whale”). Doublet of orca.
Probably from Italian orco (“man-eating giant”); later revived by J. R. R. Tolkien, partly after Old English orc, which he took to mean "demon". Both are from Latin Orcus (“the underworld; the god Pluto”). Doublet of ogre and Orcus. Etymology 2 sense 2 is a semantic loan from Ukrainian орк (ork, “evil monstrous humanoid creature; orc”) or Russian орк (ork), both from English orc and possibly under the influence of Russian у́рка (úrka, “criminal”, prison slang). Popularized in English in 2022, following the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Across languages
67 source translations are retained for this English entry.
