Turk

¹ American  

[turk] / tɜrk /

noun

1. a native or inhabitant of Turkey.

2. (formerly) a native or inhabitant of the Ottoman Empire.

3. a Muslim, especially a subject of the Sultan of Turkey.

4. a member of any of the peoples speaking Turkic languages.

5. one of a breed of Turkish horses closely related to the Arabian horse.

6. any Turkish horse.

7. Young Turk.

8. Archaic. a cruel, brutal, and domineering man.

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Turk. ² American  

abbreviation

1. Turkey.

2. Turkic. Also Turk

3. Turkish. Also Turk

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Turk ¹ British  

/ tɜːk /

noun

1. a native, inhabitant, or citizen of Turkey

2. a native speaker of any Turkic language, such as an inhabitant of Turkmenistan or Kyrgyzstan

3. obsolete a violent, brutal, or domineering person

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Turk. ² British  

abbreviation

1. Turkey

2. Turkish

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Other Word Forms

• non-Turk noun

Etymology

Origin of Turk

First recorded in 1400–50; from Old French Turc, Middle English Turke, Turque, ultimately from Turkish Türk; compare Medieval Latin Turcus, Medieval Greek Toûrkos, Middle French turc, Italian turco, Persian turk

Example Sentences

Steve Turk, a partner at vacation rental company Tangy Management, said rentals in Miami are booking at higher rates on Inter Miami match weekends, especially within driving distance of the stadium.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 11, 2026

Turk also deplored Hezbollah's missile and drone attacks on northern Israel, and urged both parties to stop, immediately.

From Barron's • Apr. 8, 2026

"Efforts to further bolster the rule of law, particularly in the justice and detention sectors, must remain a priority to be able to tackle corruption and impunity," said Turk.

From Barron's • Mar. 24, 2026

They were also astonished to discover a massive, vertical sinkhole called a blue hole, 75km south of a bank called Grand Turk, that formed when a cave collapsed inwards.

From BBC • Mar. 7, 2026

But Fezzik was a Turkish boy, and people claim the fruit bat from Indonesia is the biggest in the world; try telling that to a Turk sometime.

From "The Princess Bride" by William Goldman