great auk

noun

A large extinct auk (†Pinguinus impennis).

Similar
garefowlwogginPinguinus impennis
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Meanings

noungreat auk (plural great auks)

plural great auks

  1. A large extinct auk (†Pinguinus impennis).

    The last great auk ever seen in the UK was captured off Stac an Armin, St Kilda, in 1840.

    2020, Tim Ecott, The Land of Maybe, Short Books, published 2021, page 82

    Synonyms: garefowl, woggin

Synonyms & antonyms

nounA large extinct auk (†Pinguinus impennis).

Similar
garefowlwoggin

More synonyms by meaning

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

Similar
Pinguinus impennis
Broader
auk

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

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

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Catalan gran gavot
  • gran gavotPinguinus impennis
Chinese Mandarin 大海雀
  • 大海雀 (dàhǎiquè)Pinguinus impennis
Dutch reuzenalk
  • reuzenalkPinguinus impennis
Esperanto granda aŭko
  • granda aŭkoPinguinus impennis
Finnish isoruokki, siivetönruokki
  • isoruokkiPinguinus impennis
  • siivetönruokkiPinguinus impennis
  • jättiläisruokkiPinguinus impennis
French grand pingouin
  • grand pingouinPinguinus impennis
German Riesenalk
  • RiesenalkPinguinus impennis
Icelandic geirfugl
  • geirfuglPinguinus impennis
Irish falcóg mhór
  • falcóg mhórPinguinus impennis
Japanese 大海烏
  • 大海烏Pinguinus impennis
Korean 큰바다쇠오리
  • 큰바다쇠오리 (keunbadasoe'ori)Pinguinus impennis
Norwegian geirfugl
  • geirfuglPinguinus impennis
Polish alka olbrzymia
  • alka olbrzymiaPinguinus impennis
Portuguese arau-gigante
  • arau-gigantePinguinus impennis
Scottish Gaelic gearra-bhall
  • gearra-bhallPinguinus impennis
Spanish alca gigante
  • alca gigantePinguinus impennis
Swedish garfågel
  • garfågelPinguinus impennis
Welsh carfil mawr
  • carfil mawrPinguinus impennis
Cite this entry
APA

great auk. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/great%20auk

MLA

“great auk.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/great%20auk. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “great auk,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/great%20auk.

Source: great auk on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.