great auk
noun
: an extinct large flightless auk (Pinguinus impennis) formerly abundant along North Atlantic coasts
Examples of great auk in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Alcids are a comparatively younger family of birds, but at least one alcid species -- the great auk found in the northern Atlantic -- lost its ability to fly, though great auks went extinct in the mid-19th century due to hunting them for their down feathers.
—
Joshua Learn | Inside Science, ABC News, 16 Jan. 2022
The same technique could be used to study the last days of other extinct birds with interesting evolutionary histories, including the great auk, Haast's eagle and that poster child for extinction, the dodo.
—Ed Yong, Discover Magazine, 10 Mar. 2010
This is a great auk, which was driven to extinction.
—Dodie Kazanjian, Vogue, 10 Mar. 2022
Museums and merchants started paying top dollar for great auk eggs and skins.
—New York Times, 4 Dec. 2019
Was the great auk heading for extinction before intensive hunting began?
—The Conversation/jessica Emma Thomas, Ars Technica, 27 Dec. 2019
Despite its appearance, the great auk is actually a relative of razorbills and puffins, not of penguins.
—The Conversation/jessica Emma Thomas, Ars Technica, 27 Dec. 2019
The great auk had long provided humans with a source of meat and eggs.
—The Conversation/jessica Emma Thomas, Ars Technica, 27 Dec. 2019
In the past, researchers have speculated that environmental change topped off by human greed took down the great auk.
—New York Times, 4 Dec. 2019
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Joshua Learn | Inside Science, ABC News, 16 Jan. 2022
The same technique could be used to study the last days of other extinct birds with interesting evolutionary histories, including the great auk, Haast's eagle and that poster child for extinction, the dodo.
—Ed Yong, Discover Magazine, 10 Mar. 2010
This is a great auk, which was driven to extinction.
—Dodie Kazanjian, Vogue, 10 Mar. 2022
Museums and merchants started paying top dollar for great auk eggs and skins.
—New York Times, 4 Dec. 2019
Was the great auk heading for extinction before intensive hunting began?
—The Conversation/jessica Emma Thomas, Ars Technica, 27 Dec. 2019
Despite its appearance, the great auk is actually a relative of razorbills and puffins, not of penguins.
—The Conversation/jessica Emma Thomas, Ars Technica, 27 Dec. 2019
The great auk had long provided humans with a source of meat and eggs.
—The Conversation/jessica Emma Thomas, Ars Technica, 27 Dec. 2019
In the past, researchers have speculated that environmental change topped off by human greed took down the great auk.
—New York Times, 4 Dec. 2019
Cite this Entry
“Great auk.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/great%20auk. Accessed 1 Mar. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share