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What does elk mean?

Definitions for elk
ɛlkelk

This dictionary definitions page includes all the possible meanings, example usage and translations of the word elk.

Princeton's WordNet

  1. elk, European elk, moose, Alces alcesnoun

    large northern deer with enormous flattened antlers in the male; called `elk' in Europe and `moose' in North America

  2. wapiti, elk, American elk, Cervus elaphus canadensisnoun

    large North American deer with large much-branched antlers in the male

  3. red deer, elk, American elk, wapiti, Cervus elaphusnoun

    common deer of temperate Europe and Asia

GCIDE

  1. elknoun

    A large deer, of several species. The European elk Alces alces (formerly Alces machlis or Cervus alces) is closely allied to the American moose. The American elk, or wapiti (Cervus Canadensis) the largest member of the deer family, has large, spreading antlers and is closely related to the European stag. See Moose, and Wapiti.

  2. Elknoun

    a member of the fraternal organization named Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, supporting various services to their communities.

Wiktionary

  1. elknoun

    The largest member of the deer family (Alces alces); a moose.

  2. elknoun

    The common wapiti (Cervus canadensis); the second largest member of the deer family, smaller only

  3. Elknoun

    An computer.

  4. Etymology: dialect elk, from eolc, eolh, from elhaz (cf. Low German Elk, German Elch), from h₁élḱis (cf. Polish łoś, Russian лось, Sanskrit ‘antelope’), variant of (compare German Elen, Tocharian A/B yäl/ylem ‘gazelle’, Lithuanian elnis ‘stag’, Armenian եղնիկ ‘doe, hind’).

Samuel Johnson's Dictionary

  1. Elknoun

    The elk is a large and stately animal of the stag kind. The neck is short and slender; the ears nine inches in length, and four in breath. The colour of its coat in Winter is greyish, in Summer it is paler; generally three inches in length, and equalling horsehair in thickness. The upper lip of the elk is large. The articulations of its legs are close, and the ligaments hard, so that its joints are less pliable than those of other animals. The horns of the male elk are short and thick near the head, where it by degrees expands into a great breadth, with several prominences in its edges. Elks live in herds, and are very timorous. The hoof of the left hinder foot only, has been famous for the cure of epilepsies; but it is probable, that the hoof of any other animal will do as well. John Hill Mat. Med.

    Etymology: ælc, Saxon.

    And, scarce his head
    Rais’d o’er the heapy wreath, the branching elk
    Lies slumb’ring sullen in the white abyss. James Thomson, Winter.

Wikipedia

  1. Elk

    The elk (Cervus canadensis), or wapiti, is one of the largest species within the deer family, Cervidae, and one of the largest terrestrial mammals in its native range of North America and Central and East Asia. The word "elk" originally referred to the European variety of the moose, Alces alces, but was transferred to Cervus canadensis by North American colonists. The name "wapiti", derived from a Shawnee and Cree word meaning "white rump", is also used for C. canadensis. Elk range in forest and forest-edge habitat, feeding on grasses, plants, leaves, and bark. Male elk have large antlers which they shed each year. Males also engage in ritualized mating behaviors during the rut, including posturing, antler wrestling (sparring), and bugling, a loud series of vocalizations that establishes dominance over other males and attracts females. Although it is currently native to North America and central/eastern Asia, it had a much wider distribution in the past. Populations were present across Eurasia into Western Europe during the Late Pleistocene and survived into the early Holocene in southern Sweden and the Alps; the extinct Merriam's elk subspecies ranged into Mexico. The elk has adapted well to countries where it has been introduced, including Argentina and New Zealand. Its adaptability may in fact threaten endemic species and the ecosystems into which it has been introduced. Elk are susceptible to a number of infectious diseases, some of which can be transmitted to livestock. Efforts to eliminate infectious diseases from elk populations, largely by vaccination, have had mixed success. Some cultures revere the elk as having spiritual significance. In parts of Asia, antlers and their velvet are used in traditional medicines. Elk are hunted as a game species. Their meat is leaner and higher in protein than beef or chicken. Elk were long believed to belong to a subspecies of the European red deer (Cervus elaphus), but evidence from many mitochondrial DNA genetic studies beginning in 1998 shows that the two are distinct species. Key morphological differences that distinguish C. canadensis from C. elaphus are the former's wider rump patch and paler-hued antlers.

ChatGPT

  1. elk

    An elk is a large species of deer typically found in North America and East Asia. It is known for its high pair of antlers that grow from its skull. Elks are herbivores, primarily consuming grasses, plants, leaves, and bark. They are often hunted for their meat, which is leaner and higher in protein than beef or chicken.

Webster Dictionary

  1. Elknoun

    a large deer, of several species. The European elk (Alces machlis or Cervus alces) is closely allied to the American moose. The American elk, or wapiti (Cervus Canadensis), is closely related to the European stag. See Moose, and Wapiti

  2. Elknoun

    alt. of Elke

  3. Etymology: [Icel. elgr; akin to Sw. elg, AS. eolh, OHG. elaho, MHG. elch, cf. L. alces; perh. akin to E. eland.]

Wikidata

  1. Elk

    The elk or wapiti is one of the largest species of the Cervidae or deer family in the world, and one of the largest land mammals in North America and eastern Asia. It was long believed to be a subspecies of the European red deer, but evidence from a 2004 study of the mitochondrial DNA indicates that the two are distinct species. This animal should not be confused with the larger moose, to which the name "elk" applies in Eurasia. Apart from the moose, the only other member of the deer family to rival the elk in size is the south Asian sambar. Elk range in forest and forest-edge habitat, feeding on grasses, plants, leaves, and bark. Although native to North America and eastern Asia, they have adapted well to countries where they have been introduced, including Argentina, Australia, and New Zealand. Their great adaptability may threaten endemic species and ecosystems into which they have been introduced. Male elk have large antlers which are shed each year. Males also engage in ritualized mating behaviors during the rut, including posturing, antler wrestling, and bugling, a loud series of vocalizations which establishes dominance over other males and attracts females.

Chambers 20th Century Dictionary

  1. Elk

    elk, n. the largest species of deer, found in the north of Europe and in North America.—Irish elk, a giant deer now extinct, known from the remains found in the Pleistocene diluvium, esp. of Ireland. [Perh. from the Scand., Ice. elgr, Sw. elg.]

Editors Contribution

  1. elk

    A type of deer created in various species.

    Elk are found in Europe, North America and Asia.


    Submitted by MaryC on December 16, 2016  

Suggested Resources

  1. ELK

    What does ELK stand for? -- Explore the various meanings for the ELK acronym on the Abbreviations.com website.

Surnames Frequency by Census Records

  1. ELK

    According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Elk is ranked #39659 in terms of the most common surnames in America.

    The Elk surname appeared 554 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 would have the surname Elk.

    68.2% or 378 total occurrences were White.
    25.2% or 140 total occurrences were American Indian or Alaskan Native.
    2.5% or 14 total occurrences were of two or more races.
    1.4% or 8 total occurrences were Black.
    1.2% or 7 total occurrences were Asian.
    1.2% or 7 total occurrences were of Hispanic origin.

Matched Categories

Usage in printed sourcesFrom: 

Anagrams for elk »

  1. lek

  2. Lek

How to pronounce elk?

How to say elk in sign language?

Numerology

  1. Chaldean Numerology

    The numerical value of elk in Chaldean Numerology is: 1

  2. Pythagorean Numerology

    The numerical value of elk in Pythagorean Numerology is: 1

Examples of elk in a Sentence

  1. Adam Doerhoff:

    He added: She saw antlers, she saw the body. She thought it was a deer and took the shot. This young girl probably had never seen an elk in the wild before.

  2. Tom Strother:

    When I put my post up on Facebook yes I was a excited Dad. And also I wanted to make people aware that there is elk in northern Missouri. Donald White said his daughter has faced social media bullying since the incident. (Donald White) There’s no hunting season for elk in Missouri. The state’s conservation department reintroduced the animal at Peck Ranch Conservation Area in 2011 and is currently growing a herd. However, the elk Wilson shot was about 200 miles away from the herd, Springfield News-Leader reported. There are no reports of elk in this area. It was kind of a surprise to us. There was no evidence of any ear tags or collars on this one.

  3. Dave Loewen:

    There’s a lot of the snow in the area and so what happens is the elk will be crossing from one side of the tracks to the other.

  4. Reggie Wassana:

    When then-Gov. Evans made that proclamation, he said that John Hickenlooper can hunt Native people, just as if John Hickenlooper could hunt a buffalo, an antelope, an elk, a deer. It was open season, and we do appreciate what Colorado Gov. Jared Polis has acknowledged. Colorado Gov. Jared Polis wants to try to make a wrong right. And that's what we're here for today and that's what we look forward to, is that we would like to see all those wrongs that were done all those years ago come back to right.

  5. Cyndi Karvaski:

    They are just all over Evergreen Golf Course near Denver but people can play through, there is signage posted around Evergreen Golf Course near Denver to warn golfers to stay away from the elk.

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Translations for elk

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