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Added 10 October 2026

tusk

/ˈtʌsk/ noun

noun Definition from WordNet 3.1, Princeton University. Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about tusk at Wordnik → Where our words come from →

A hard smooth ivory colored dentine that makes up most of the tusks of elephants and walruses.
A long pointed tooth specialized for fighting or digging; especially in an elephant or walrus or hog.

verb

Stab or pierce with a horn or tusk.
the rhino horned the explorer
Remove the tusks of animals.
tusk an elephant

Origin

From Middle English tusk (also tux, tusch), from Old English tūsc, tūx (“canine tooth, tusk, molar”), from Proto-West Germanic *tų̄sk, *tunsk, from Proto-Germanic *tunþskaz (“canine tooth”), extended form of *tanþs (“tooth”), from Proto-Indo-European *h₃dónts (“tooth”). Cognate with Saterland Frisian Tusk (“tooth”), West Frisian tosk (“tooth”), Icelandic toskur (“a tusk, tooth”) (whence the Old Norse and Icelandic Ratatoskr and Ratatoskur respectively), Gothic 𐍄𐌿𐌽𐌸𐌿𐍃 (tunþus, “tooth”) and *𐍄𐌿𐌽𐌳𐌹 (*tundi, “thorn, tooth”). Doublet of tush. More at tooth.

From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)

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