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

But there will be a little bit of Orc killing to be seen in the extended cut.

From The Daily Beast

There are a few Orc killings that we actually got knocked back.

From The Daily Beast

One-third of Americans now say that President Obama should be impeached, according to a CNN/ORC poll.

From The Daily Beast

Riding a warg, the Pale Orc watches as the company awaits their free-fall into death.

From The Daily Beast

The CNN/ORC instant poll had a margin of error of plus or minus 4.5 percentage points.

From The Daily Beast

But with the dawn of that morning Orc descended in fire, “and in the vineyards of red France appeared the light of his fury.”

From Project Gutenberg

Last she calls upon Orc; “Smile, son of my afflictions; arise and give our mountains joy of thy red light.”

From Project Gutenberg

Of these two divinities, called in the mythology Los and Enitharmon, is born the man-child Orc.

From Project Gutenberg

Los embraces her, and she begets a child in her own image—a Human Shadow, who is named Orc (passion).

From Project Gutenberg

One merely gathers, that Orc releases himself in order to marry the shadowy daughter of Urthona,—Ah!

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• mammal
• porpoise