beak

/biːk/ (bre, ipa) · /biːk/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈbēk/ (ame, mw)

beak — noun

1. the stiff, narrow front section that forms a bird's jaws and that it uses to pic

1.名詞B1
釋義

the stiff, narrow front section that forms a bird's jaws and that it uses to pick up food, build nests, or clean its feathers.

例句

The parrot cracked the sunflower seed open with its strong yellow beak.

typical collocation: strong / yellow beak

Baby chicks tapped at the eggshell with their tiny beaks until it broke.

同義詞
  • bill

    everyday alternative, especially for ducks, swans, and other waterbirds with flatter shapes

  • mandible

    technical zoology term for the upper or lower half of a bird's beak

用法筆記

Most often paired with adjectives describing shape, size, or colour (long, curved, sharp, yellow). The plural is regular: beaks.

常見錯誤

❌The bird ate with its mouth.
✅The bird ate with its beak.
💡for birds, English prefers 'beak' or 'bill' over 'mouth' when talking about the hard outer part.

2. a humorous or rude word for a human nose that looks unusually big or sticks out

2.名詞C1
釋義

a humorous or rude word for a human nose that looks unusually big or sticks out sharply from the face.

例句

Greta laughed and said her uncle had a beak you could spot from across the street.

informal register, often in jokes about appearance

The cartoon villain had a huge red beak and a thin black moustache.

同義詞
  • schnoz

    very informal American slang, also slightly rude

  • hooter

    British informal, similar joking tone

用法筆記

Informal and can sound rude when used about a real person's face. Often appears in the fixed phrase 'stick / poke your beak in', meaning to interfere in someone else's business.

常見錯誤

❌She has a beautiful beak.
✅She has a beautiful nose.
💡'beak' carries a teasing tone and is not used for compliments.

3. in old-fashioned British slang, a person who has the power to punish you, usuall

3.名詞C2
釋義

in old-fashioned British slang, a person who has the power to punish you, usually a judge in court or the head teacher of a school.

例句

The pickpocket was hauled before the beak the next morning.

fixed phrase: be brought / hauled before the beak

If the old beak catches us climbing the school gate, we'll be in trouble.

同義詞
  • magistrate

    neutral term for a junior judge in lower courts

  • headmaster

    the standard word for the male head of a school

用法筆記

Now dated and chiefly British; mostly seen in older novels, period dramas, and historical references. Modern speakers say 'judge', 'magistrate', or 'headmaster' instead.

常見錯誤

❌The lawyer presented evidence to the beak in the New York court.
✅The lawyer presented evidence to the judge in the New York court.
💡'beak' in this sense is British slang and sounds out of place in American settings.