elk

Meaning

1. Any of various large species of deer such as the red deer, moose or wapiti (see usage notes).
2. Any of various large species of deer such as the red deer, moose or wapiti (see usage notes).
3. Any of various large species of deer such as the red deer, moose or wapiti (see usage notes).
4. Any of various large species of deer such as the red deer, moose or wapiti (see usage notes).

Synonyms

moose

🫎

wapiti

red deer

American elk

moose

🫎

European elk

deer

🦌

Cervus elaphus canadensis

Alces alces

Cervus elaphus

wapiti elk

North American elk

antelope

moose doe

fawn

venison

gaselle

shou

hangul

maral

Alces

tule elk

wapita

Pronounced as (IPA)

/ɛlk/

Etymology

From Middle English elk, from Old English eolc, eolh (“elk”), from Proto-Germanic *elhaz, *algiz (“elk”) (compare Low German Elk, German Elch, Danish elg, Norwegian elg, Swedish älg), from Proto-Indo-European *h₁élḱis, *h₁ólḱis (compare Polish łoś, Russian лось (losʹ), Vedic Sanskrit ऋश्य (ṛ́śya, “antelope”), variant of *h₁elh₁én (compare German Elen, Tocharian A yäl, Tocharian B ylem (“gazelle”), Lithuanian élnis (“stag”), Armenian եղնիկ (eġnik, “doe, hind”)), from *h₁el- (“deer”). Doublet of Elhaz.