orc

¹

[ awrk ]

noun

1. any of several cetaceans, as a grampus.
2. a mythical monster, as an ogre.

O.R.C.

²

abbreviation for

1. Officers' Reserve Corps.

orc

/ ɔːk /

noun

1. any of various whales, such as the killer and grampus
2. one of an imaginary race of evil goblins, esp in the fiction of J.R.R. Tolkien

Word History and Origins

Origin of orc¹

First recorded in 1520–30; partly from Middle French orque, a kind of whale, partly from Italian orca “large whale, fabulous sea monster,” partly from Latin orca, a kind of whale; orca ( def ); Orcus ( def ), ogre

Word History and Origins

Origin of orc¹

C16: via Latin orca, perhaps from Greek orux whale

Example Sentences

The spell is only broken when the night ends, not with an out-of-control orc or goblin but with something far more mundane: a bill.

From Los Angeles Times

For a while I thought they were heralding an orc attack; now it turns out they may just be grieving.

From Los Angeles Times

At another, Monet challenged an orc to solitaire instead of fighting it.

From Seattle Times

We were in the city of Waterdeep, overrun by an orc horde.

From Seattle Times

New clues emerged after the team discovered that a distant galaxy, which appeared to be enveloped in an ORC, produced a bright fluorescent glow from excited oxygen atoms.

From Science Magazine

Related Words

• mammal
• porpoise