yak

1 of 4

noun (1)

ˈyak 

plural yaks also yak

: a large long-haired wild or domesticated ox (Bos grunniens synonym Poephagus grunniens) of Tibet and adjacent elevated parts of central Asia

Illustration of yak

• ¹yak

yak

2 of 4

noun (2)

ˈyäk  ˈyak 

less common variant of yuk entry 1

1

slang : laugh

did it just for yuks

2

slang : joke, gag

yak

3 of 4

verb

ˈyak 

variants or less commonly yack

yakked also yacked; yakking also yacking

intransitive verb

: to talk persistently : chatter

yak

4 of 4

noun (3)

variants or less commonly yack

: persistent or voluble talk

Examples of yak in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Its population of 1,500 is outnumbered almost 10:1 by the yaks grazing nearby. —Liam Freeman, Vogue, 27 Nov. 2024

Two brown bears, a lion, a couple of yaks, five cockatoos, 25 pheasants and 40 mandarin ducks. —Kim Hjelmgaard, USA TODAY, 21 Nov. 2024

Verb

At 77, the Republican front-runner may even be slipping in the head, yakking about becoming dictator for a day, taking revenge on opponents and mimicking Hitler rhetoric. —George Skelton, Los Angeles Times, 8 Jan. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

Tibetan (Lhasa dialect) yaʔ (spelled gyag)

Verb

probably imitative

First Known Use

Noun (1)

1795, in the meaning defined above

Verb

1949, in the meaning defined above

Noun (3)

1950, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

yak

noun

ˈyak

plural yaks also yak

: a large long-haired wild or domesticated ox of Tibet and nearby elevated parts of central Asia