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
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No pronunciation record was provided for this word.
noun
An animal, such as a bull elephant or a boar, with large tusks.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
A tool used in peat cutting, a type of turf spade similar to a cascrom.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: Orkney, Scotland, Shetland, UK, especially
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
any mammal with prominent tusks (especially an elephant or wild boar)
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: mammal, mammalian
History
Etymology tree Proto-Germanic *tunþskaz Proto-West Germanic *tunsk Old English tūsc Old English tūx Middle English tusk English tusk English -er English tusker From tusk + -er.
From Old Norse torfskeri, from torf (“turf”) + skera (“to cut”), whence also Scottish Gaelic tairsgeir, toirsgeir, treidhsgeir and later forms like toirsgian (assimilated to sgian (“knife”)). Known in print from the early 19th century, but doubtless much older.
Across languages
7 source translations are retained for this English entry.
