beak

Everyday

1. The hard pointed mouth of a bird, which it uses to eat, pick things up and build nests. tree →
2. A similar hard mouth of some other animals, like a turtle or an octopus. tree →

In the lessons

In science, the shape of a beak tells what a bird eats: a hooked beak tears meat, a long thin one reaches nectar, a short thick one cracks seeds — a good example of animals being adapted to their food. In stories, a bird pecks or taps with its beak. Phrases: «in its beak», «a hooked beak», «peck with its beak».

Examples

• The robin carried a worm in its beak. tree →
• A parrot can crack nuts with its strong beak. tree →
• The eagle has a sharp hooked beak for tearing meat. tree →
• A hummingbird's long thin beak reaches deep into flowers. tree →
• The duck dabbled in the mud with its flat beak. tree →
• The chick broke the shell with a tiny tooth on its beak. tree →
• Don't put your face near a goose — its beak can nip. tree →
• Turtles have beaks instead of teeth. tree →
• "I'll bite hold of you with my beak." tree →

Note

Countable: a beak, beaks. Birds have no teeth; the beak does the work of teeth. Another word for a bird's beak is «bill», used especially for ducks. In old British school slang a «beak» was a judge or teacher, but that is rare now.

In Jewish tradition

In science, the shape of a beak tells what a bird eats: a hooked beak tears meat, a long thin one reaches nectar, a short thick one cracks seeds — a good example of animals being adapted to their food. In stories, a bird pecks or taps with its beak. Phrases: «in its beak», «a hooked beak», «peck with its beak».

Examples

• Awake, awake, stand up, O Jerusalem, that hast drunk at the hand of the LORD the cup of His fury; thou hast drunken the beaker, even the cup of staggering, and drained it. (Prophets ISA.51.17, JPS 1917) tree →

Note

Countable: a beak, beaks. Birds have no teeth; the beak does the work of teeth. Another word for a bird's beak is «bill», used especially for ducks. In old British school slang a «beak» was a judge or teacher, but that is rare now.