tusk

1 of 2

noun

1
: an elongated greatly enlarged tooth (as of an elephant or walrus) that projects when the mouth is closed and serves especially for digging food or as a weapon
broadly : a long protruding tooth
2
: one of the small projections on a tusk tenon
tusked adjective
tusklike adjective

tusk

2 of 2

verb

tusked; tusking; tusks

transitive verb

: to dig up with a tusk
also : to gash with a tusk

Examples of tusk in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
The target odors were pangolin scales, rhino horns, elephant tusks and African blackwood, a tree that is often used to make musical instruments. Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 30 Oct. 2024 Mastodons were similar to the also-extinct mammoth, but had flatter heads and straighter tusks. Reuters, 29 Sep. 2024
Verb
Mountain lions, tarantulas, snakes, and tusked pig-like creatures called javelina call the park home, too. Pam Leblanc, Condé Nast Traveler, 5 Jan. 2023 These huge, tusked mammals roamed the Earth during the Pleistocene and early Holocene epochs, before disappearing roughly 4,000 years ago. Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 24 May 2024 See all Example Sentences for tusk 

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English, alteration of tux, from Old English tūx; akin to Old English tūsc tush

First Known Use

Noun

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1629, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of tusk was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near tusk

Cite this Entry

“Tusk.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tusk. Accessed 21 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

tusk

1 of 2 noun
1
: a very long large tooth (as of an elephant, walrus, or boar) that sticks out when the mouth is closed and is used especially for digging food or as a weapon
2
: a tooth-shaped part
tusked adjective

tusk

2 of 2 verb
: to dig up or gash with a tusk

Medical Definition

tusk

noun
: an elongated greatly enlarged tooth that projects when the mouth is closed and serves for digging food or as a weapon
broadly : a long protruding tooth

More from Merriam-Webster on tusk

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!