great auk

noun

1. a large, flightless auk, Pinguinus impennis, of rocky islands off North Atlantic coasts: extinct since 1844.

great auk

noun

1. a large flightless auk, Pinguinus impennis, extinct since the middle of the 19th century

Word History and Origins

Origin of great auk¹

First recorded in 1820–30

Example Sentences

Many sights described in his vivid prose can no longer be seen, like the great auk, which the naturalist mistakenly called a penguin.

From Washington Post

In the past, researchers have speculated that environmental change topped off by human greed took down the great auk.

From New York Times

By about 1850, the great auk was extinct; the last two known specimens were hunted down by fishermen on Eldey Island, off the coast of Iceland.

From BBC

I named it Auk I, after the great auk, an extinct bird that couldn’t fly.

From Literature

McGrain’s subjects have included, among others, the passenger pigeon, the great auk, the Labrador duck, the heath hen, and the Carolina parakeet.

From The New Yorker