Speakur

Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

tusk

/ˈtʌsk/

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 2.95 in modern English

Syllables
tusk
IPA
/ˈtʌsk/
8
Scrabble Score
4
Letters
1
Syllables
4
Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

One of a pair of elongated pointed teeth (either cuspids or incisors) that extend outside the mouth of an animal such as walrus, elephant or wild boar, and which continue to grow throughout the animal's life.

noun

A small projection on a (tusk) tenon.

noun

A tusk shell.

noun

A projecting member like a tenon, and serving the same or a similar purpose, but composed of several steps, or offsets, called teeth.

noun

A sharp point.

noun

The share of a plough.

verb

To dig up using a tusk, as boars do.

verb

To gore with the tusks.

Example Sentences

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Germanic *tunþskaz Proto-West Germanic *tunsk Old English tūsc Old English tūx Middle English tusk English tusk 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.

Origin

Word Breakdown

  • Root: *h₃ed- (bite), tusk, tūsc,tūx, *tų̄sk,*tunsk, *tunþskaz, *h₃dónts

Regional Pronunciation

  • American English: /ˈtʌsk/
  • British English: /ˈtʌsk/

Usage

Subject

Wiktionary places this term in Medicine.

Inflected Forms

tusks (plural) tusks (present, singular) tusking (participle, present) tusked (participle, past) tusked (past)

Derived Forms

detusk tusked tuskless tusklike tuskwise tussock

Phrases

milk tusk tusk tenon

Frequently Paired Words

fang tusked tusker tusklike tusky tusk tenon

Synonyms

torsk cusk more at cusk ivory detusk horn

Rhymes With

musk dusk husk rusk brusque lusk busk cusk buske kuske muske fsck

Questions

How do you pronounce tusk?
The recorded pronunciation is /ˈtʌsk/.
What does tusk mean?
One of a pair of elongated pointed teeth (either cuspids or incisors) that extend outside the mouth of an animal such as walrus, elephant or wild boar, and which continue to grow throughout the animal's life.
Where does tusk come from?
It is traced to Middle English.

How to pronounce tusk

  1. Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “tusk”.
  2. Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling (/ˈtʌsk/) so you know which sounds to aim for.
  3. Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “tusk”.
  4. Repeat and practice — Say “tusk” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.